Of Monsters and Men
by LightningReformed
Summary: Drayce Ackerman is a mutant, the product of a genetic test. He wields a great power, the power of the ninth titan, but in receiving it, he loses almost everything. His friends, family, even the part of him that made him human, or at least until he met Annie Leonhart. With his thirst for vengeance, he joins the Survey Corps to complete what had begun years ago.
1. Prologue

**A/N: All fucking whizzity right! I'm back from Peru and it feels so damn good to take an actual shower. I put off posting the rewrite long enough as it is so here is the prologue but I don't think anything changed in this chapter except for the absence of cursing which I'm too lazy to put back in at the moment. Hope this brings back some nostalgia from when I started this 10 months ago. Now let's begin our stroll down Memory Lane shall we?  
**

 **Year 790, The Interior, Stohess District**

"Commander Landon, we got him." Landon stands up and sighs. After 4 years of searching, they finally found him.

"Bring him in to my office," he spoke.

"Yes sir!"

Two soldier haul the man into the room. He blinks rapidly and tries to shield himself from the sudden sunlight.

"Ah, the infamous Wolverine," Landon said.

Wolverine squints trying to make out the features of the man.

"Who are you?" he grunts.

"I'm sorry where are my manners? I'm Commander Landon Price from the Military Police Brigade."

Seeing the handcuffs, Commander Landon raises an eyebrow. "Why is he wearing handcuffs? Take it off him, don't you know that he's an honored guest?"

"Sorry sir!"

The handcuffs dropped to the floor with a clunk and Wolverine massages his wrists. "What do you want?" he growls.

Landon motions him to take a seat and he does.

"You are aware of the titans are you not?" Landon asked while pouring himself a cup of tea.

Eyeing Wolverine, he got up and grabbed a bottle of whiskey from his shelf and hands it to him.

"Its kinda hard to not when they come over and try to ruin your life everyday," he replies after a swig of the liquor.

"So you can kill them, I presume?" Landon inquired.

"Yeah, I kinda have to when you live outside the walls," Wolverine replied. "I'm getting old Price."

The two men sat their for a moment, wondering about the current situation. Landon sipped his tea and sighed again.

"Have you noticed the abnormal amount of titan activity lately?"

Both men knew about it and it was getting worse everyday.

"Well, they'll eventually breach wall Maria," Wolverine said grimly.

"Yes which is why we need your DNA, Wolverine. Our scientists aren't even close to reconstructing what they did to you. In a less painful fashion that is. We need the titans exterminated. The Survey Corps are getting wiped out faster than we can replace them! Our only chance is to have your abilities passed on," Landon cried out.

"Yeah, well, I kind of already dealt with enough crap like that to last me a lifetime," Wolverine said grimacing while remembering his own past.

"Look, I'll make you a deal. You can live in Stohess until you die. No more hell, you can drown it out with a lifetime supply of free whiskey as well," Landon pressed.

"Well, if you put it that way, let's do it then and ah, I get to keep the rest of this whiskey right?" Wolverine asked.

"Sure as long as I get a shot of it. That's Jack Daniel's. That brand is hard to come by these days," Landon groaned.

So with that, Wolverine was handed over to the the Military Police's scientists. The sterile lab reminded Wolverine of his horrid experience. A nurse approached with a tray with ten syringes. Wolverine rolled up his shirt sleeve as the scientist dipped a cotton ball in alcohol. She swabbed the vein at the crook of his arm and inserted the first needle into him, drawing exactly hundred milliliters of blood. She waited several minutes and repeated the process five times on each arm. When they finished, she covered the tiny needle holes with bandages. The scientist held a lollipop out to him.

"What am I, a five year old?" Wolverine grumbled but nonetheless, he accepted it. He kicked open the door strolled out of the room sucking on the lollipop.

"Tell Commander Landon I'll be holding him to his promise," he told a guard and walked out of the building smirking.

The extracted doses of blood from Wolverine was soon processed into a injection solution that should change the genetic code of the subject, granted that they didn't die from it. Commander Landon then gathered the ten test subjects and injected each of them with the serum. As if on cue, all of them fell to the ground, a seizure taking hold. One by one, the subjects grew limp until only one of them survived the injection. The scientist studied the panting man critically.

"Commander, with only one survivor the chances of the genes passing down is too remote for it to happen!" the lead scientist pleaded.

"We have no choice. His predecessors are our only hope. Give him and his fiancé the memory loss serum and send them on their way. It's not like we have many options," Landon said grimly.

The survivor along with his fiancé was then injected with the serum that wiped their memory depending on how much was given. They were soon transported back to Shiganshina.

* * *

 **Year 834 Shiganshina District**

"Let me in! I must see my grandson!" an elderly man shouted.

"Sir please, your grandson needs rest, especially with his condition," the nurse pleaded. The elder man stopped in his tracks.

"No, don't tell me he has the-" he stammered.

"Yes, I'm sorry. Your son and daughter in law already knows. He has the condition we feared he would have," the nurse whispered.

The elderly man hobbled into the room. His daughter in law was crying and his son was still in shock. The baby's irises were solid black. He stared at his grandson filled with sorrow and grief. The nurse reentered, and knelt next to the man's daughter.

"Ms. Ackerman, please, what is your child's name?" the nurse asked quietly.

"His name." her whisper barely audible. "His name is Drayce, Drayce Ackerman. He has a very strong heart and will. I know it, and so will he when the time comes," She dries her eyes, stops, and looks the nurse in the eye.

"How long does he have," she asked no longer weeping.

"At most, seven or eight years left before his bones completely turn into dark steel," the nurse replies. "You should get some rest, the child birthing really sapped your energy."

"Alright," Mrs. Ackerman replied and she closed her eyes.

The nurse carried Drayce out of the room to the nursery. Once she was sure she was alone the nurse took of her white coat to reveal her Military Police uniform. Slowly but carefully, she rubbed the back of Drayce's hand. It was agonizingly slow but eventually they came out. The woman gasped as three little bone claws started to creep out of little Drayce's hand in between his knuckles. Once they were at their full extent, she started to prod them back in. The claws retracted and the wounds in between Drayce's knuckles began to heal at an alarmingly fast rate.

"So the genes have been passed down," a voice behind the woman said.

She jumped in surprise and turned to see Commander Landon behind her. In the past years, he had grown cruel and heartless after Wolverine's death, something he never recovered from.

"Well Amanda, he has the everything we need?" Landon asked. Amanda nodded, too terrified to speak.

"Where is it happening," he inquired while playing with baby Drayce.

"As far as I can tell only his bones. It'll take around seven to eight years to have his bones be completely metal," she squeaked.

He nodded, seeming satisfied. "Take the baby back to our base for experimenting and give the parents as well the old man the memory serum. You are dismissed Cadet Whitler," Landon said.

Amanda grabbed a syringe along with three bottles of the serum and rushed out of the room to carry out her orders, leaving Landon left with his thoughts.

'Well my friend, after all these years, we can finally finish what we began.'

Amanda rushed through the hall and burst through the door. In there was Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman as well as the man. Amanda felt terrible. They have the right to know about what's going on, right?

"Mr. Ackerman, please, wake up," she said while shaking him.

"Huh?" he snorted.

"Please, you have to run. Commander Landon is here. He's after your baby and you'll be killed if you stay! Take your family and run please," Amanda pleaded.

"Wait, why does he want our baby and why should we trust you?" he snarled. Amanda sighed and began the explanation.

"Forty four years ago, Landon extracted the blood from Wolverine, the most famed titan killer. Knowing that he was dying, Landon attempted to pass on Wolverine's genetic code in hopes of a second Wolverine. He took ten test subjects and injected them with the solution that would alter their genetic code. It was risky and deadly. Only one of the test subjects survived." She paused waiting for this to sink in.

"So what does this have to do with us?" Mr. Ackerman asked.

"Your father is the surviving test subject. The genetic code has taken effect to your son. With his regenerative abilities, inherited from Wolverine's genes, your son will be able to survive the effects of the disease, turning his bones to the indestructible metal known as dark steel. His bone claws, also inherited from Wolverine, will be lethal to titans. In other words, your son is born a titan killer. Landon asked me to wipe your memories but I refuse to do that. So please take your family and run or Landon will kill you if he finds out I disobeyed his orders," she finished.

Knowing the kind of man Landon was, Mr. Ackerman nodded.

"I'll make sure you can visit him in private. I'll take care of him. Please, hurry," Amanda said.

"Alright, I'll explain things to my wife and my old man," he said a lump forming in his throat. "Help me carry my wife out. I have a small plot of farmland where we can live."

They carried the still sleeping wife and her father and put the in the cart waiting outside.

"Good, I'll arrange meeting times for visiting your son. It's the least I can do," Amanda said. "Stay hidden and stay safe, now GO!"

So with that, the family fled to where they would be safe. She watched as the cart slowly disappeared into the night. Amanda smashed the bottles of the memory serum onto the ground, kicking the glass into the vegetation and walked back inside, slamming the door shut behind her.

'I'll protect him. I'll protect the baby. It'll be alright,' she thought, walking to report back to Commander Landon.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Chapter One rewrite.  
**

Gold eyes stare lazily at the dungeon's ceiling. Little eight year old Drayce Ackerman laid in bed, eyes wandering around. It's been eight years since he was taken from his family, which meant eight years of experimentation upon him. He hated how the needles and scalpels poked into him along with prying eyes eager to learn everything about him. The strain of beatings and the experiments have taken its toll on him by changing his eyes slowly from black to brown and finally to gold. Drayce was a mutant, a race of genetically empowered humans. At least that was what the Military Police told him. The original mutants including Wolverine were dead now. They were unstoppable, until time claimed them, taking them ten feet underground.

The Military Police wanted an army of mutants to fight the titans. Drayce laughed at the idea. They barely had ten of them and it was already hard to control them because the spacing was tight in the underground base. The ten were always training vigorously, up till the point of near death from exhaustion. They were a tight group, the ten of them. All of their parents were either dead or don't remember them at all. Drayce is the only one left with actual parents. This made the others envy him.

Every Friday, Drayce was allowed to go to town, as long as he was accompanied with his nana, the soldier Amanda who had saved his parents from their fate eight years ago. They would sneak off to visit his family, just like a good son should. Drayce lived for those visits, especially the ones when his sister came. Mikasa was just a year younger than him but she always managed to bring a smile to his face despite the gloomy times underground where he was often beaten, tortured, and experimented on. He hadn't mentioned any of this to his family. It would bring them to worry too much about him. The guards particularly hated him because of his snarky attitude towards them. One such Friday, Amanda walked into his cell looking excited. She was carrying a long thin package.

"I managed to get this past the guards. They're so lazy sometimes," she remarks.

"What is it? And why are you giving it to me?" Drayce asks, clearly confused.

"Well, the results are in and it's confirmed that all your bones are officially made of dark steel. Congratulations, you officially are practically invincible now," she squeals.

She shoves the package into his hands. "This is your gift as a celebration," she explains.

Drayce carefully unwrapped it and a katana rolls out. He picks it up, studying the blade. The titanium handle was decorated with a dragon, coiling its way up. It was cool to the touch. He unsheathed the sword and the dark blade slid out. The sword pressed down in his hand, heavy enough to be perfectly balanced.

"Is this..." he asks, looking up at Amanda.

"Yes, it's made of dark steel. Molded by the great Magneto himself. One of his last possessions and pieces of work. I managed to get it from the market from a sword seller who thought it was a fake. Since your sword skills are rapidly improving, I decided to get you your own sword, something that would last forever. I knew it was the perfect gift the moment I saw it," she laughs.

"It's amazing! Thank you!" Drayce says as he leaps over, giving Amanda a bear hug.

He sheathes the sword, rewraps it, and stows it in the straw underneath his mattress.

"Come on. We're going to the market today and hopefully get your parents some fresh bread," she said.

They stroll out the base and walk out the building above the cramped dungeon area. They walk to the market together, admiring the good weather.

"Wait for me here. The line's a bit long at the bakery so it'll take a while for me to buy the bread," Amanda said, ruffling Drayce's messy hair before walking into the shop.

Drayce peers around the market. It was bustling with activity, vendors shouting their best deals in hopes of selling their produce. They never had much time to go beyond the marketplace, per the time restriction. To his left, he could hear shouting. Frowning, he turns his head towards the noise, a commotion at the fish stand. Drayce runs forward, pushing to the front to watch.

"You brat, my entire shop is ruined now!" the owner shouts, gesturing to the spilled crates of assorted fish and crustaceans.

"Well you started it," a boy retorts from the ground, rubbing his head.

It was Mr. Ponwell, Eren, and his sister, Mikasa. Drayce knew Mr. Ponwell was once a convicted criminal who never lost his edge after prison, tending to get violent when provoked.

"I've told you time and time again not to mess around here! You brats are going to pay for this!" he snarls angrily, saliva flying from his mouth.

He grabs Mikasa by the arm and drags her to the remains of his stand. Ponwell snatches a cleaver from the knife rack.

"Mikasa!" Eren shouts fearfully, trying to free her from the man's grip.

He slams her hand down on the cutting board. The crowd surges forward to stop Mr. Ponwell, but by the time they got there, it was too late. Mikasa squeezes her eyes shut with tears streaming from them. Ponwell brought the cleaver down and Mikasa waited for the pain that she was sure to come. But it never did. She flinches as a loud crack rings through the air. She slowly opens her eyes, wiggling her hand. It was still there. Turning to look, she see Drayce's own arm on top her own. The remnants of the cleaver were embedded into his arm, shards of stainless steel around the cutting board.

"H-h-how," Mr. Ponwell stutters staring at the broken cleaver, blood dripping steadily from Drayce's arm.

Drayce yanks the shattered weapon from his arm with a hiss of pain.

"Here's how. Try chopping through dark steel bones with that piece of trash," he hisses, his voice dripping with venom.

Mikasa's eyes widen at the sight of his rapidly healing wound. Drayce grabbs Mr. Ponwell by the collar with one hand and lifts him up. The older man struggles fruitlessly against his grip.

"Don't touch my sister again or you deal with me," he growls, his gold eyes flashing dangerously before throwing Mr. Ponwell into the remains of his stall with ease. "I'm letting you off easy today. Next time I find you threatening or touching them, I won't be as merciful as I am today."

Eren runs up to him, his green eyes gleaming.

"That was so cool! Your Mikasa's older brother right?" he shouts.

"Yeah. Keep your ass out of trouble. You're lucky I was here today." he grumbles as he kneels down next to Mikasa. "Hey, it's okay."

Gold eyes met the black ones. She sniffles and she hugs him tightly.

"Move it scum or we'll make you!" a voice yells.

Drayce turns towards the voices and scowls watching as the Military Police bully their way to the scene. Standing up, he moves Mikasa behind him.

"So brat, I take it that you did this?" the officer sneers.

"No, I-"

The butt of a gun smashes across his face. The man cocks back the hammer and he notices Eren restraining a furious Mikasa.

"Who are these kids?" The officer laughs, pointing the gun at Mikasa.

They both stop moving. Drayce doesn't respond and spits a mouthful of blood.

"I asked WHO ARE THEY?" he shouts, finger on the trigger.

Mikasa whimper while Eren stood frozen with fear. Drayce glares at the soldier before mumbling something under his breath.

"What? I can't hear you?" he growls.

"They're my siblings," Drayce shouts, frustrated.

"Where is your parents?" he sneers, gun still pointed at Mikasa.

"At home in our farmlands near the forest," he says, head down knowing what is coming.

"Well, I believe it's time to give them a doctor's visit. Have to make sure they're right in their mind," the officers sneers.

He walks off, hauling a screaming Mikasa and fighting Eren. Amanda runs out with tears in her eyes.

"They found out, didn't they?" she asks. "Is he going to..."

He nods, too numb to speak. Amanda quickly herds Drayce back to the underground base, both of them silent on the way back.

"They found out?" asks his friend George as soon as he entered.

Drayce nods a silent confirmation. Rachel gasps and that's when he broke down. His family will never remember him again. They had already found his cousin in the underground city. They were the only ones left and they slipped out from his hands.

"Come on, we have an emergency meeting from our guests, the Marley officers," William mumbles. "Probably gonna spout his nonsense about the 'devils of this island' or some shit along the lines of that."

They silently file into the room where they took their seats. The Marley officer stands up and clears his throat. He walks around the table giving each child a file before beginning his announcement.

"Today, we choose the successor to the ninth titan, the Victory Titan. When you obtain the Victory Titan's power, your lifespan shortens. You will have thirteen years left to live. But to compensate, the Victory Titan is the strongest of all titans, possibly even stronger than the Founding Titan at full potential," the officer says, pacing back and forth.

"The Victory Titan's form varies, but it takes the attributes of the host so therefore it is ideal that a mutant have the power. In addition, it is one of the two titans to transform a second time. This new form is given a substantial increase in power and a new enhanced abilities. For more detailed information, please refer to the files we gave each of you," the officer instructs.

The shuffling of papers could be heard as the mutants flip through the pages, reading about the specification of the titan.

"We have read through your evaluation reports on abilities, strength, and willpower. The strongest takes the power of the Victory Titan. If you are chosen, you will be the one to lead our soldiers to victory in this war on these good for nothing devils."

All ten of them scowl at this comment. It wasn't uncommon to hear this from the officer as they were taught the same thing from as long as they could remember although none of them believed a word they said. It was just another lie they fed them to manipulate and use them.

"Now for the moment of truth. The successor of the Victory Titan is..." he pauses. "Drayce Ackerman. Your scores excel in every category which gives us great reason to entrust you with the power of this titan."

'That's right. Give me the power to destroy you monsters who took our lives from us. I can use this power to finally escape this hell," he thinks savagely.

"The rest of you, do not fret. In due time, you will get to see what you have to work with. You will be on a team with him," the Marley officer assures them. "The warrior program is coming along nicely. You should expect some back up with your mission."

"Sir, when should we expect them by?" William asks.

"Ah, good question. Their training will be over within three years but I'm afraid you misunderstood me. You aren't staying here for very long, you see. We've been ordered to transfer you to Marley for proper training and education. We leave tomorrow at sunset," the officer explains. "By my command, when you are dismissed, pack your bags and get ready for departure. Dismissed!"

* * *

"All you worthless hogs! Attention!"

"Oi Bert, what do you reckon going on?" a burly boy asks, leaning on his friend.

"I don't know, Reiner. All I know is if they make us do another five miles, I think I'm going to hurl," the tall boy replies panting.

"If you can't stand it, then why are you here?" a blond girl next to them asks. "It's completely pointless to subject yourself to this if you can't cut it."

"Aww, c'mon Annie! I almost beat you," Reiner whines.

"Yeah, if you call being behind by fifteen minutes 'almost', then you might as well quit here," Annie deadpans, tucking stray strands of hair behind her ear.

"For once, I agree with you Annie. You heard it here Reiner, you might as well quit. We both know you won't be able to do it," a smug boy said from behind them.

"Be quite, Porco," Marcel orders, smacking his younger brother in the back of the head.

"Quit talking, you scum! Meeting at the canteen in five! You lose your lunch ration if your late!" the instructor screams.

The kids made a mad dash towards the canteen, pushing and shoving to get in. As the last kid slips in, the Head walks onto the room.

"Good job so far in your training! Keep it up and we'll wipe them out in no time!" the Head says firmly. "All of you lose your lunch rations. You were all late."

A collective groaning comes up from the crowd of kids as the complain and lament their misfortune.

"Be quiet! If you weaklings can't stand a day without food, you can quit right here, right now," the instructor barks.

"You were all called for an update in our operation. We have finally captured the Victory Titan, but only one inherits the immense power," the Head informs the murmuring crowd. "And it's none of you. Our forces at the island have found a suitable candidate for the position."

"Sir, why did you choose a devil to inherit the power of that titan. We can wipe the floor with him. Easily," a cadet shouts angrily.

"I said be quiet!" the instructor screams.

"Although he is a monster, can you win against a human with the devil's gift?! All of you are weak and unworthy compared to him! Only the strong can survive in this world!" the Head shouts. "The ones that are the strongest in this group will have the honor of operating besides the strongest titan!"

"The strongest titan huh? Wouldn't that be something, right Bertholdt?" Reiner whispers, nudging his friend.

"That is if you get a titan," Annie says under her breath.

"Annie!"

Behind him, Reiner could hear Porco snicker. Reiner turns around and shoot Porco a furious glare. Porco simply turns his nose to him while Marcell gave him an apologetic look.

"That is all for today! You are dismissed!" the Head shouts.

The trainees, stood up and began to file out one by one. As Reiner walks out, Porco yanks him away from the group to the side of the building.

"Oi! What are you doing?!" Reiner shouts, fighting against his grip. "Let go Porky!"

Porco slams Reiner against the wall, getting his face in front of the blond boy's own face.

"Face it Reiner. You're never getting a titan. You aren't good at hand to hand, marksmanship, and choose brawns over brains. Even your name says it," Porco hisses. "Just give it up!"

"It's Braun, Porky and let me tell you something. Marley isn't just looking brains, strength or your skills with a gun. Loyalty is key and with a coward like you, you won't survive a second. Fortune favors the brave," Reiner spat back.

"You-!" Porco said, his face flushing red.

"PORCO! I told you, knock it off! Reiner's right. With the path you choose, Reiner's the more likely candidate than you ever will be." Marcell yells, running over to the pair. "Honored Marlean? Hah! That's all you think about! You're a damn disgrace! Get back to your station now!"

Marcell twists Porco's ears dragging him away from Reiner. He throws Porco back around the building, kicking him in the butt for good measure. Marcell looks on with disgust before walking back towards Reiner.

"Sorry about that! There's no way Marley would choose someone like Porky. Don't let him get to you. He knows you can get it, he just trying to get you all wound up," Marcell said, patting Reiner's shoulder before turning around to leave.

""M-Marcell!" Reiner stutters. "Are you really sure?!"

Turning around, Marcell flashes a smile at his friend. "Of course! I'm willing to bet on it myself! You've got us, your friends, supporting you. Well, maybe not really Annie but, I'm sure she still cares slightly."

Reiner lets out a weak chuckle. "Yeah, thanks Marcell. C'mon, I'm gonna be late for hand to hand! The instructor's gonna yell at me!"


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Chapter Two rewrite.  
**

The mutants packed quickly, throwing their belongings into bags. They secured their bags to the horses provided by the Marley government. They began their travels beyond the walls at night.

"It is the safest time to travel because titans can't move without the sunlight," the Marley officer explained.

They rode on horses all night. William pulled up next to Drayce.

"You good mate?" he asks.

"Just nervous about this whole turning into a titan thing," Drayce replied.

"It's alright. There would be something wrong if you weren't," William chuckles.

"When I get that power, I'm gonna break us outta this hell," Drayce decides.

"Ooh! Did I hear something about breaking out?" Rachel asks sidling up on Drayce's other side.

"You did Rachel," he replies, grinning. "You see that forest? That's where we'll go after we escape. Freedom will be ours."

"Well, I for one, want to go back in the walls," muttered George. "Don't have to worry about no titans."

Christie, Rachel, William, Boone, and Megan all nodded in agreement.

"It's not so bad out here," Tom says joining in. "I mean, I know I wouldn't mind as long as we're in the trees," he continued, Ivan and Mable nodding.

"I have to admit, I'm going to side with Drayce on this one," Mable said. "I'm tired of these walls that surround us."

"At least we won't have the constant threat of titans eating us," Boone argued.

"Guys, when I get the power, I'll take those who want to go back home back to the wall and those who want out can stay in the forest," Drayce proposes. "But that's a long ways away until we get stronger, much much stronger!"

They all nod in agreement. By day break they have arrived at the blimp. The engines were already revving, the sound of the motor deafening.

"Get on unless you want to be titan food," a Marley soldier yells.

They get onto the blimp and it take off to the sky. The red, rising sun reflects off of Drayce's gold eyes turning them into fiery orbs. They sail past the calm, blue sea before they finally land. The sun is high above them. The group disembarks from the blimp and start to march from the landing pad to the main building. The streets of Marley were somewhat similar to Shiganshina. Shops littered the street, bustling with people. The moment they stepped foot onto the Main Street, every single civilian stopped and stared. They shuffled aside to make room for the group.

"Follow me," the Marley officer said.

The mutants were getting stares from everywhere, mostly towards Drayce. They trudged up the road and entered the military base.

"These the kids," a guard grunts.

"Yes. That one is the successor," the officer said pointing to Drayce.

"Congratulations kid, welcome to the Marley army," the guard said saluting him.

Drayce and his friends were directed into a huge enclosed area. There was a raised platform with two pole staked to the ground. A soldier hurried over to the with a black case labeled "Victory Titan". The officer opened it and inside was a vial of foggy liquid and a syringe.

"Sir, you really should reconsider waiti-," a soldier suggests before getting interrupted.

"If we wait any longer that old man is gonna die. Then we have the Victory Titan going to someone else. You really want to track down another holder?" Officer Karlux asks, glaring at the guard who interrupted.

A frail and thin man was dragged in, his features sunken. They secured the man to the chains in between the poles. Making sure he was secure the hurried off. The officer took the syringe from the case and began drawing the liquid from the bottle. He held the syringe out to Drayce. He took it and raised it ready to inject it into himself.

"WAIT," the officer said urgently. "Wait for us to get up safely. When I give you the signal, you inject that into yourself. Your friends and I will be up there," he said pointing to a small, safely, enclosed area with windows.

He gives Drayce a pat on the back and usher his friends up to the room.

"Good luck mate," William shouted.

When everyone was in position, he looked at the room and saw Karlux nod. He looked at the frail man in front of him and inserted the needle into himself and pressed the plunger. For a moment, he thought nothing was going to happen at all. At that moment, lightning struck him and he blacked out.

His friends watched as the lightning hit their friend and a titan body enveloped him. The titan stood at a respectable ten meters in height. His normal hair was replaced with a shaggy hairstyle covering his ears. His eyes were bulging and were a piercing gold. His teeth were jagged and sharp. He was stocky for a titan with smaller than average arms. His legs were abnormally long. He let out a primal roar in which power and anger radiated from. His gold eyes regarded the box where his friends stood for a second before honing in on the man. He leaped over with surprising speed and grabbed the frail man. As the jaws closed down on the man, Drayce's friends turned away.

"Aw come on! That's gross!" Tom groaned.

"Then look away idiot!" Megan replied, her hand covering her own eyes.

The titan swallowed and screamed before collapsing in a heap. The titan started steaming and an opening appeared at the nape of the titan's neck. The officer opened the door and made his way down, the kids following him. He climbed the corpse and tried to tug a pale and sweaty Drayce out.

"You there, help me get him out," he grunts, pointing to Rachel.

Rachel's eyes glowed turquoise. Drayce was soon glowing with the light as he was being tugged out by the officer. Rachel waved a hand and Drayce became detached from his titan with a squelch. His eyes were wide with terror.

"W-What the fuck happened?" he asked in horror before promptly collapsing unconscious.

The officer dragged him down and the glow faded. Pointing to the two guards near the safe zone, he called them over.

"Oi, you two. Get him to the infirmary," the officer ordered.

The two soldiers took him by his arms and legs and carried him out.

"The rest of you, clean that up," the officer continued pointing to the messy remains. "Well, that went well. Let's give our champion some time to rest up, shall we?"

* * *

"Do you think he's gonna wake up soon?"

"I don't know."

"He's been out for several days,"

"Mmhm."

Drayce is in complete darkness right now. He groans and slowly opens his eyes.

"Took long enough to wake up did you," William said.

"How long was I out for?" he groaned.

"About three days," William replied.

"Antisocial as always, Mable?" Drayce smirks.

"Whatever," she replies. "Officer Karlux needs you. He wants to start your titan training today. Meet him back at the titan testing facility."

Drayce slid out of his bed, throwing on a coat. He pulls on his boots and runs out the tent towards the enclosed area once again. When he enters, he's surprised to see his friends already there.

"Drayce! Glad you can join us. You had us worried," Ivan said.

"Where's Officer Karlux," Drayce asks.

"Oh, I'm right here."

Drayce whirls around and sees the officer on the platform flanked by two guards. A few moments later, Mable and William walk in.

"Well, now that everyone's here, let's start the testing. Dale, get in here," Karlux orders.

A stocky man walks in and salutes the officer.

"Start your lessons with our rookie here. I'll be up there," he says, pointing to the room as Dale nods.

"Alright, first order of business. You need to learn how to transform. The transformation needs two criteria be met. The first is a self inflicted injury. It only meets the requirement if it is intentional and has to draw blood. I prefer to use a knife," Dale instructs.

Drayce nods taking in the information carefully.

"The second criteria that needs to be fulfilled is a strong purpose. You need to have your head clear, focusing only on your goal. Clear your head of all emotion and that will lead to a controlled transformation. Otherwise you will go rouge, the titan acting on it's own. I'm going to transform first and then you do it. If anything goes wrong, I'm prepared for it," Dale says positioning himself. "You might also want to take a few steps back."

Drayce backed away from the man as he takes out a knife. Dale slashes the knife across his palm and lightning rocked the arena. A titan formed around Dales body, fifteen meters in height. Armor plating covered every inch of his body.

'So that's why they chose him. He's the tank of the army,' Drayce thought.

The Armored Titan motions for him to transform. Drayce runs and picks up the fallen knife. He narrows his eyes, wrapping his hand around the knife. He yanks it out of his hand and another bolt of lightning shakes the arena. His titan body envelopes him and he looks in amazement at his handiwork. Drayce's friends look at his titan from the room. This time, Drayce's titan stands at a towering seventeen meters. Eyes still gold and sunken. He was a wall of muscle and power, perfectly proportioned. Plates of dark steel jut out from his legs, arms, and torso. His lip less mouth reveals a row of jagged and sharp teeth comprised of dark steel as well. His looks down at his own hands, his claws sliding out in between his knuckles.

"That was expected," Tom says.

"With those claws, it'll give him a massive combat advantage," Boone murmurs.

Karlux grabs a megaphone and announces the beginning of a duel. Dale's titan takes it's stance and so does Drayce, his arm at eye level, claws extended. The other held up in a defensive position.

"Classic," William exclaims.

"What other stance would he use," Boone grumbles, remembering all the times he's been beaten by Drayce.

"Dale's never lost in titan combat. We'll see how this ends," Karlux says.

Dale charges Drayce, bring his foot up for a high kick. Drayce slides under Dale slashing at the back of his knee with his claws.

"He went for his weak point. The parts behind the joints don't have any armor or else movement would be restricted," the Karlux notes. "Smart."

"Look at Dale. His leg isn't regenerating like it should," Megan says, hushed.

It was true. Dale collapsed onto his knee.

'Damn it, I forgot dark steel stops a titans healing factor. I might actually lose to this rookie,' Dale thinks.

He gets up and tackles Drayce, throwing him over his shoulder, savagely taking one of Drayce's arm in the process.

"That should buy Dale some time," Ivan notes.

"I don't think so," replies Christie. "Look."

The moment Drayce's arm was ripped off, a skeletal, dark steel arm shot out and began layering itself with flesh. The entire limb regenerated itself in a matter of seconds.

"Oh shut up Christie," Ivan says embarrassed.

Drayce roars in anger and leaps at Dale, burying all six claws into Dale's shoulders. Dale's Armored Titan falls backwards with Drayce following. Drayce uses the momentum and rolls forward throwing Dale off of him, slashing through his chest at the same time. The Armored Titan smashes into the wall and slides down.

"Dale's armor does nothing to protect him from Drayce's claws. He cuts through him like butter," Rachel squeals.

"Amazing! Dale lost," says a very shocked Karlux. "Match over! Drayce Ackerman wins," he roars.

The titans slump into a heap as their controllers emerge from the nape.

"Well done you two," Karlux concludes. "We will continue training like this for the next couple of years. Get some rest."

"Ya did pretty good Drayce. Where did you learn that last move?" Dale asks grinning.

"I invented it," Drayce replies sheepishly. "I find that it fits my combat style pretty well."

"Well it did a number on me. Well played! We'll be training like this a lot, so be prepared," Dale exclaims. "Let's go grab some lunch, shall we? I'll explain some things while we're at it."

* * *

"So what's your story? Showing rookies like me how to control their titan, that can't be your only job," Drayce inquires, stabbing his fork into a potato.

"Yeah, naw. This might sound depressing but I'm mostly just waiting for my time to run out. I used to be in the Second Division until the commander took me out of action. So nowadays I just teach the new cadets the basics about how we run things here," Dale says shrugging, poking at his salad.

"The new cadets for the army?" Drayce asks, taking a bite out of the spud.

"Heard of the warrior program? I don't reckon you have. Marley currently controls seven of the nine titans. We have the Female, Jaw, Beast, Cart, Colossal, Armored, and Victory. A few years ago, a man escaped by using the power of the Attack Titan. The warriors program is essentially the program for selecting candidates to take over our roles," Dale explains.

"How many have enrolled?" Drayce asked.

"About two hundred or so. Half of them dropped after the first week and another sixty dropped after the first month. Not many people can take the harsh training they're put through," Dale says. "Once the new candidates are selected, they're sending them back to the island along with you to continue the operation."

"Huh. Which ones are going? Titans I mean," Drayce asked.

"As far as I know, the Armored, Female, Colossal, Jaw, and you," Dale replied. "Although I don't see why they're doing this. Still one hundred percent idiotical."

"Wait, what?" Drayce asked hushed. "If they here you, you'll be killed!"

"As far as I'm concerned, the people on the island haven't done crap to us. You and your friends are proof of that. If you compare Marley and Paradise side by side, we're the same," Dale replies shrugging. "Marley wasn't what it once was, little guy."

"Daaaaaale!" a woman's voice sang through the canteen.

A woman about her twenties hopped next to Dale, shaking his head with her hands. She had a goofy grin on her face, her straight brown hair coming down to the middle of her back.

"Ergh! This is Luana. She has the current Female Titan" Dale said, trying to swat her hands away from his cheeks.

"Hiiii! What's your name?" Luana asked, taking a seat next to Drayce.

"Drayce," he replied.

"Not much of a talker I see," Luana observed. "You remind me of that one girl in my class."

"Luana, like me teaches the new cadets. Her field of expertise is in aviation engineering, one of our best pieces of technology," Dale says with a hint of pride..

"Yep! The Head told me to personally train a friend of your science he seemed interested in how the blimp works," Luana said cheerfully. "You'll be spending time with Dale instead, working on hand to hand combat and titan abilities."

In the corner of the room, the bell rang, clanging fast and loud.

"Well, that's our cue," Dale said, wiping his mouth with the napkin. "It's time for the cadets to have their lunch. C'mon, we're going back to the dome for more practice. Luana, better get back to the classroom before the Head flames you again."

The three get up and puts their plates on the far counter. Dale holds open the door, letting Drayce and Luana walk out first. Motioning for him to stop, Dale turns towards the probing eyes of the cadets.

"Who is he?"

"Is he a new recruit?"

"I dunno. He's with Dale."

Drayce turns away from the crowd, not wanting to attract any attention to himself.

"Cadets! You are dismissed for lunch!" Dale shouts.

"Aye sir!" reply the cadets before shuffling into the empty room.

"C'mon, the facility is this way. We still need to figure out your abilities," Dale said, steering Drayce towards the massive enclosed space.

At these last words, Reiner's head perked up. He looked over to the shrinking forms of Drayce and Dale. The facility was off limits to all cadets, so if that new guy was going then that meant…

"So he's the Victory Titan," Annie observes.

"Did you get a look at him?" Reiner asks.

"No."

"What?! You might be chosen to become a warrior and you still don't want to get to know who you're working with?!" Reiner asked in disbelief.

"Eh. I'll learn his name when I meet him," Annie shrugs.

"Are you seriously not going to ask him anything else? Maybe be a friend?" Bertholdt asks.

"To be honest, he acts a lot like you, Annie. I mean, I felt like he was gonna punch someone if from the way he looked," Marcell said.

"Shut up before I punch you."

"See what I mean?"

 **Bonk!**

"Ow!"


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Chapter 3 rewrite. Last one for tonight. I gotta get some sleep.  
**

"Okay guys, today is the day we escape. There is a blimp coming at around ten tonight," Drayce says.

It's been two years since the mutants arrived at Marley. Drayce and his friends have trained harder than ever for this moment.

"Okay, Rachel. Since your on fuel duty, when the driver gets out, you steal the key from him with you telekinesis. I'll take out the other guards with Drayce so George can start up the engine after it's been fueled again," finishes William.

"We then get on the blimp and fly away while Rachel, William, and Mable provide cover against incoming missiles," Boone adds. "Oh yeah George, you sure you can pilot that thing?"

"Yes I can, Boone. I haven't been taking lessons on it for two years with a crazy titan lady for nothing," George snapped back.

"Alright everyone get going. Me and William have guard duty over the blimp tonight. When William gives the signal you guys come to the blimp," Drayce says.

Later that night, the blimp comes as expected. The trio watch as the convoy comes out and is greeted by Officer Karlux. A small glow floats towards Rachel and she grabs it. She waved the keys at William, confirming the item. As they walk away, William gives Drayce a nod. Drayce unsheathed his katana, drops the first guard and throws his sword, impaling a second guard. William snaps the last guard's neck, sending a fireball into the night sky while Drayce retrieves his sword. An alarm sounds as two of their mutant friends run out.

"Where are the others?!" Drayce roars.

"They've been captured trying to get out," George shouts. "They've sounded the alarms!"

"Rachel, take care of that missile coming towards us. We have to go or we're all dead," William shouts.

Gunfire rings out from a distance and bullet holes pepper the ground.

"Cover me, I'm going in and getting them back," Drayce shouts, running straight into the line of fire

Rachel stares at the missile, her eyes glowing turquoise from the intense concentration. A blue aura surrounds the missile, freezing it as it explodes in mid air. Mable flicks her hand and a gust of wind knocks a line of soldiers down.

"Defend the damn airship until Drayce gets back," William roars.

* * *

Drayce sneaks into the building. Soldiers are rushing left and right. He looks around and walks towards the main hall. He can hear shouting and screaming coming from below him. He rushes towards the stairs and descends quickly. When he reaches the bottom of the stairs, a sight nearly makes his heart stop.

"Well, a bit late to the party are we," Karlux sneers. His friends are bound and gagged against the wall, a line of guards with guns pointed at them.

"Surrender and your friends can go free or we kill them," he growls.

Drayce looks at his friends and they are shaking their head vigorously, telling him not to do it. He smiled sadly. Drayce lays down his katana and retracts his claws.

"Bind him, then execute all of the-" Karlux freezes to see six claws buried deep into his chest. He looks in fear as he stares at the boy's murderous eyes.

"Kill them," Karlux gurgles.

"NO," Drayce shouts. He throws Karlux's body at the soldiers but it's too late.

The shots ring out and that's when Drayce cries out and lets out every ounce of pain and anguish. The anger he suppressed for the past ten years of his life exploded. Something inside him snaps and he loses himself in his rage. Electricity arks in his mind, sparking and sizzling. His vision turns red as he blindly pummels away at his enemies. As his rage finally evaporates, his eyes adjust to the sight before him. The walls were stained red, slash marks all over the place, bodies lying motionless on the floor. His body is aching from his wounds. Taking a single step forwards, he collapses to the floor. Crawling over to his friends he finds that they're dead except for Christie. Gasping for air, she desperately looks him in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry," he croaks, tears welling out. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you," he cried as Christie looks at him with pleading eyes.

"Please, don't worry. It won't be so bad. I'll finally get to see mom and dad again," she whispered, tears were rolling down both their faces.

"Please, protect them, for me, for all of us," she begs.

Unable to speak, Drayce bows his head and nods. With that, she exhales one last time before closing her eyes. He rises from his position and takes one last look at all the carnage he caused. His breathing becomes faster and shorter, turning into a chuckle, and finally turning into a full out laugh.

"IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT?!" he screams towards the ceiling, his pupils a scarlet red. "WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT TO TAKE FROM ME?!"

He half laughed and half cried as his mind slowly began to break down. "MY FAMILY, MY HUMANITY, IT'S ALL GONE! ALL OF IT! I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL, EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!"

* * *

"Marcel, I'm done with my side," Annie says, running back to the front door.

"No, not yet. We still need to check the cells. I'm getting pulled back to the flank so do that for me will you?" Marcell asks out of breath.

"Sure then," Annie says, turning around back towards the main hall.

She runs towards the stairs and takes out her dagger. She peers into the darkness of the rows of cells. The walls were torn into, multiple slashes scarring them. As she reached the end of the stairs she could already smell the stench of death. She could hear a soft sobbing sound off in the distance. She grips the blade harder and begins to carefully walk towards the source of the noise. Turning the corner, she sees a lone boy, his shoulders shaking. Around him were the bodies of five kids, no older than she was.

"IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT?!" the boy screams suddenly, scaring Annie. "WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT TO TAKE FROM ME?!"

What she judged to be sobs were actually his laughs. Her stomach churned as she listen to his words. "MY FAMILY, MY HUMANITY, IT'S ALL GONE! ALL OF IT! I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL, EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!"

Every last one of them. Annie's eyes widened as she spiraled back into her memories.

 **Flashback Begins  
**

 _"Mother! Tell me a story!" little Annie begs as she climbs onto her mother's lap._

 _Her mother chuckles and lifts up Annie, adjusting her position. Her mother taps her nose very lightly, smiling._

 _"Alright then Ann. We can't be too long. Your father will be back," her mother says gently. "I'll have to leave soon."_

 _"Why? Mother!" Annie asks, tugging at her mom's sleeve as tears dripped down her face._

 _Her mother wiped away her tears, giving a sad smile._

 _"You see, your father and I haven't been on the country's best side. I'll have to go with some people," her mother explained carefully._

 _"When will you come back?"_

 _A loud sharp knock came from the front door. Her mother set Annie down onto the floor and crossed the room and opened the door. Several soldiers and an officer walked into the room. Finally, her father himself walked through the door._

 _"Olivia Leonhart, you are under arrest for conspiring against the Marley government with the penalty of death, carried out by firing squad. Execution is to take place in a week from today," the officer reads from the scroll._

 _He rolls back up the parchment and holds up a pair of handcuffs. Annie watches as her mom stands up and walks obligingly towards the officer. She watches as he fastens the restraints onto her mother's wrists. Her father refused to meet their eyes, head bowed._

 _"Lukas, next time this happens, we won't be so lenient to let you and your daughter live. As per our agreement, is she enrolled?" the officer asked coldly._

 _"Yes, she has. I've submitted the papers already," her father said heavily._

 _"Good, we'll be back for her soon," the man said before briskly taking his leave._

 _Annie watches as her father sinks into the cedar chair in the corner. His hands rub his troubled face. His eyes turn towards her._

 _"What are you doing? Shouldn't you be practicing your kicks?" her father snaps._

 _"B-but what about mother?" she asks in a tiny voice._

 _"She's gone. Now go!" her father yells, anger rising to his face._

 _She runs out of the house, tears starting to pool at her eyes. The government, anger and rage began to build up as she thought about it more. It was their fault, they had forced them to do this. Not the people across the sea, but the very people of her homeland._

 **Flashback End**

Annie watched as the boy tore through a steel cage with his bare hands like it was wet paper. She lowered her knife, dropping it to the ground. The boy turned at the sudden sound, the scarlet red eyes turned to face her. She kicked her knife towards him, the blade clanging as it slid across the linoleum floor. Pressing her back to the wall, she sat down.

"Go. Leave before I call for reinforcements," she says.

Drayce stares at her in surprise. "Are you also-"

"I don't care. Just go," Annie interrupts.

He shakes his head, staggering up the stairs and out the building.

"There he is! Get him!" a soldier yells, pointing at Drayce.

The entire battalion turned and started to fire on Drayce. He stands there, taking the fire, bullets clanging against his skeleton. His entire body crackles with electricity as he walks towards the opposition.

"Oh crap! Run!"

"Retreat! He's going to transform!"

An bolt of lightning arks down and strikes Drayce. The blast knocks down the battalion of soldiers. Flesh wraps around his entire body as he is lifted into the air. He stands up at his full height of seventeen meters, looking around the battlefield. He bends down and grabs the nearest turret, crushing it with his bare hands. The cannon explodes into a fiery mess of metal. He throws the crunched weapon down at the soldiers, scattering their formation.

'Nothing from this base shall remain. I will raze it to the ground,' Drayce thinks savagely as he slashes his claws across the main building.

"Evacuate the site! Gather the recruits!"

The rubble falls and smashes to the ground breaking the ranks. He stomps towards the airships, smashing each one with his fists. He continues to rampage in the base, destroying everything in sight. His friends watch from the airship as the assault turns towards their friend. His anguished roar reverberated throughout the entire military base. The group watches as the army abandons their failed counterattack. Soldiers and cadets alike stream out the gates, running for their lives. Annie turns and looks back at what was left of the base. It was a pile of steaming rubble, flames licking the destroyed structures.

"They really are devils," Reiner gasps, looking back at the destruction. "Look at what they've done!"

'Good riddance,' Annie thinks as she looks at the sea of fire.

* * *

With a huge burst of steam, Drayce exits his titan. He staggers on board and falls over.

"George, get to the cockpit," Rachel screams throwing him the keys.

George sprints to the wheel and the blimp takes off with a sudden lurch. William and Mable lift Drayce from his position and carry him into the medical bay, placing him on the bed. Drayce groans and opens his eyes but they were blank and hollow.

"I tried to save them. I wasn't fast enough and they w-." That's when Drayce's voice breaks.

There is no need for him to continue the explanation.

"Come on guys. Leave him be," William mutters.

By sunrise, the blimp reaches the coast. The escapees get out of the blimp.

"Here, hold my katana," Drayce says as he thrusts it into George's arms.

He runs a good distance back. He closes his eyes and a bolt of lightning strikes Drayce. His titan body appears out of thin air. He kneels and extends a hand. George, William, Mable, and Rachel clambered on. Loosely closing his hand, he brought it up to his shoulder. The mutants get off and cling on to his hair like little koalas. With that, Drayce slashed the blimp with his claws. The vehicle explodes in a fiery mess. Drayce picks it up and throws the remains into the sea. After watching it sink, Drayce races off towards the wall.

"With my calculations, we should reach the wall by sundown using my power," George shouted.

"Drayce, it's up to you to protect us from the titans in between jumps," Mable shouted. George yelled and a portal appeared. Drayce ran right through it, bringing them a bit closer to the walls. They repeated this, jumping through portals, until finally reaching Wall Maria. Drayce let's them down and exits the titan and it begins to steam.

"The Garrison soldiers are all dead asleep. This is your chance to create the portal now," Rachel whispered into George's ear.

The boy furrows his brows in concentration as a small flickering light appears and enlarges into a hole. They peer through it and see houses in the distance. Drayce nods and the mutants climb through. Once safe and sound, George closes the portal and run off to rejoin his friends.

"We don't have many places to go now. We can live in the forest until we have enough for a house," Rachel suggests.

Drayce gaze is unfocused and he's muttering something to himself. The other look with concern. William shakes his shoulder, snapping him back to reality.

"Uh yeah sure. I have to go check on something real quick," he says quickly and walks off.

They look at him unsure. They all knew he bore the weight of their friends' death all on himself, but didn't know the extent of how hard it was on him. Drayce wandered towards a secluded house on the edge of the forest. The window to Mikasa's room was opened. He frowns and climbs in. He walks over to his sister's bed and notices how hot her forehead is. He listens intently and comes to the conclusion that his parents weren't home. He frowns. People died all the time to common illnesses and his family didn't have access to a doctor besides Dr. Yeager who only sometimes visits them. He walks downstairs and throws open the medicine cabinet and finds it empty. He sighs. Drayce would have to change that.

Trudging up to the streets of Shiganshina, he makes his way towards Dr. Yeager's shop. Luckily, it still hasn't closed up for the night yet. He walks into the musty room. It's covered with charts and bottles of medicine.

"Ah, hello Drayce, long time no see," said Mark, one of Dr. Yeager's shop assistant who would run the shop when Dr. Yeager wasn't in town.

"I need a bottle of pills for fevers," he mumbles, digging around in his satchel for the money he's saved up over the years.

"Getting expensive, ain't it. It's twenty sils," Mark sighs.

Drayce throws the money onto the counter and grabs the bottle.

"Two pills a day should do the trick," Mark adds sweeping up the money.

Drayce nods and runs back to his house. He climbs back through the window and this time, hears his dad coming up. He places the bottle of pills on the bedside table and jumps out the window.

"What the-" Mr. Ackerman mutters as he spots the bottle of pills.

He picks it up and squints, looking at the label His face lights up as he realizes what it was. He softly shakes Mikasa awake.

"Mikasa, it's time to take your medicine now" his dad says cheerfully.

Drayce exhales the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Getting up, he slowly walks away from the sounds of joy coming from the house to the silent forest once again.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: How did you like the last chapter? ;) Drayce's first encounter with Annie. More death and violence ahead. You have been warned yet again. Happy reading.**

Over the course of a year, the mutants managed to find a job. They all lived in a tiny house but despite all this, it had gotten a bit harder, mostly because Drayce was a wanted criminal now. It happened about two months after they got back. He had just gotten of his shift and he was going to visit his family. He looked through Mikasa's window and it was eerily silent. He saw a bit of blood on the stairway and his face paled. He climbed through and ran down the stairs, seeing the horrid scene before him. His father, glassy eyed, had a knife wound in his abdomen. His mother with a giant gash starting from her shoulder. His sister was nowhere to be seen. He completely freaked. Staring and mumbling frantically, his eyes darted everywhere, from the blood stained floor to the bodies. He staggered out the door. He wandered through the forest in a daze, until coming across a small transportation cart. He slumped against it. A gun cocked next to his head.

"Move and I blow your brains out," a man sneered. The man had a tattoo of a skull in an eagle's claw, the human traffickers clan.

"Where is my sister," he growled, standing up.

"Who? That Oriental girl? She's with the rest of our group, gonna get sold to those underground pervs. Say, your an Oriental too. Bet you'll sell but not as much," another man says as he smiled grotesquely. Drayce roared in anger and drove his claws into the man's arm. The man cried out and his partner pulled the trigger. A shot rang out. The bullet lodged in Drayce's head. The wound closed pushing the bullet out.

"What the-" the man stumbled back. Drayce stabbed the man with his claws and twisted before pulling them out. The trafficker screamed in agony. The second man swung a blade at Drayce's neck. He ducked and slashed upwards. The man's head fell of his neck. Drayce's eyes glowed blood red. Literally. The wounded man on the floor tried crawling away. Drayce savagely tore a leg off, stopping the man in his tracks.

"Where are they," he growled again.

"The house west of this wagon," the man gasped cradling his stump.

"On certain situations I'll let you live since you didn't touch her, but not in this one," Drayce shouted in rage. He drove his claws into the trafficker's skull and pulled them out. The man fell over.

By nightfall, he reached the cabin which was swarming with the Military Police. They had discovered the other traffickers that he had murdered and they were looking for him. He saw his sister, that Eren kid, and Dr. Yeager.

"Eren, I told you to wait at the foot of the mountains," Grisha said angrily.

"They would have long gone by then," Eren argued back.

"I'm not angry about that. I'm just angry at how willingly you just threw away your life like that," Grisha replied softer.

"All I did was kill beasts disguised as humans," he says, not a hint of remorse in his voice.

"Mr. Yeager, how do I get home? I'm cold," Mikasa says, eyes lifeless. It took all of Drayce's willpower to not rush in and comfort her. He watched as Eren takes of his scarf and wraps it around her, throwing the last bit over her face.

"There, it warm isn't it?"

"It's warm," Mikasa replies softly.

"Come on, let's go home," said Eren, following his father with Mikasa in tow. Drayce follows them, catching up to them. Eren and Mikasa stare at him.

"Ah Drayce. Did they give you a free day today?" Dr. Yeager asked kindly.

"Er, no. We escaped," he whispered glancing back at the Military Police. Grisha furrowed his brows.

"Eren, take Mikasa home first, I'll come soon," Dr. Yeager promised.

"Oh, Mikasa, nice to know your healthy. Glad to know my medicine worked," Drayce said awkwardly. Her eyes widened remembering that day. Her family couldn't afford the medicine and when she woke up, her father still had the cash in his hand and holding the bottle of medicine. Something about the boy seemed familiar but she couldn't place it. She nods and walks off with Eren.

"Let me get this straight. During the two years you were gone, you became the host to the Victory Titan and you escaped after decimating half a Marley militarily base," Grisha asked shocked.

"Yeah that about sums it up," he says monotonous. "I needed to vent a bit. Nice catching up. Bye," he says suddenly and walks away.

"Wait!" Drayce looks back at Grisha. "Please protect Eren and Mikasa. She may not remember you but she still knows it's you very deep down. I grabbed this before leaving your house." Grisha hands Drayce a photo. Everyone's there. Mom, dad, him and Mikasa, an annoyed Levi, Levi's parents, and uncle Kenny. "They'll remember someday, I know it." Drayce nods and walks off.

After that incident, it made stepping out the street impossible for Drayce. Unless he wanted the entire Military Police on his butt. He sat down on the couch and stared at the wall and a huge explosion was heard, bringing dust on his head. He looks out the window and sees a titan, gripping the wall.

"Fucking shit!"

Grabbing all his friends photo's he stuffs them in his pocket. The door crashes open and his friends appear.

"Grab any remembrance of your family and stuff them in your pockets. They'll make us throw everything else away to make room for other people," he shouts. He grabbed his family photo and his katana. "Hurry to the boats now," he roars. He climbs the building getting to the roof. He sees his friends running to the boat.

"George, what the fuck, just portal it," he roars. A portal opens up and the four leap in.

"Drayce, come on," George shouts.

"I'll come later, I can defend myself, just get on first," he shouts back. The portal closes and Drayce takes off running. He sees a garrison soldier running towards the docks with Eren and Mikasa when a titan stops them.

"Shit!" He remembers his promise to Grisha and unsheathed his katana. He leaps and slices off the hand reaching towards the trio. They stare at him dumbfounded. He jumps onto the titan's arm, running up it and around, slicing out the nape. The titan jerks and falls down steaming.

"What?" he demands looking at the trio. "RUN, GO," he screams. Sheathing his sword he takes off after them.

"Thanks, I thought we were done for! I'm Hannes," the soldier shouts.

"Eren stop struggling. It's not going to help you kill titans if your dead," Drayce shouts at a dumbstruck Eren.

"I don't see them grandpa," says a small boy.

"Armin, sit down," his grandpa says.

"There they are," Armin shouts excited. His face falls as he sees his friends expressions. Hannes is herding them as well as another kid holding- is that a katana? His gold eyes seem unnaturally creepy. Hannes push through, using his position to get them on the boat as soon as possible.

"Eren, Mikasa! Who is he," Armin asked.

"He's Drayce, the one who saved us when a titan got in our way to the boats," Mikasa replied. Seeing Eren's face, Armin knew the worst had happened. Drayce walks off. He finds William and the others on the other end of the ship.

"Man, where were you?" William asks.

"Saving them," he says casually pointing to a screaming Eren and a calm Mikasa trying to comfort him.

"Okay," William asks unsure.

"She's his sister you dipwad," George says, punching William's arm. A loud clunk is heard as the gangplank is thrown away.

"The boat is at full capacity. No else can be let on," the soldier shouts.

"No, please, at least let our children on," a woman shouts. A few try jumping. One manages to latch on. As the boat sails away, the refugees watched as the titans continued to approach. A loud stomping is heard. Another titan appears, this one is covered in yellowish armor.

"The Armored Titan. Looks like another holder," William mutters. The people watch as it charges at the gate and smashes through.

"It's over, Wall Maria has fallen," Mable whispers.

The refugees reached Wall Rose by morning. They crowded the soldiers handing out rations for them. Drayce and his friends lined up and waited their turn. Just before his turn to get his ration of bread, he caught sight of the girl in front of him. Her blue eyes and blond hair. They made eye contact. Her eyes widened as she began to recognized him.

"You want your bread or not," a soldier hissed. Drayce studied the soldier before him. He sees his ribs sticking out a bit.

"On second thought, I'm not hungry. You can have my bread," he said absently to the soldier. The man looked shocked. He nodded at Drayce and slipped the bread into his coat pocket. Drayce followed the blond girl and found her in sitting in an alley with two other boys. Seeing him, they stood up.

"Who are you," the burly blond boy demanded. His expression was a bit guarded and tense. He followed his eyes and saw his hand on his katana hilt.

"Oh sorry about that," he gestured to his katana. "It's just a habit. I'm Drayce." He ignores them and looks at the girl. She seems to be avoiding his gaze. "Two years ago, I saw you in that hallway at the Marley military base," he says. The two boys tensed hearing this. "Why did you apologize to me," he asked lightly, his gold eyes boring into the blue ones.

"I felt bad for you, when you lost your friends. The last moment you had with that girl touched me," she mumbles looking down.

"Good to know. What's your name?"

"Annie," the girl mutters. He nods and walks away.

"What was that, Annie?"

"Does it matter Reiner?"

"Guys stop arguing."

"Shut up Bertholt."

"That's my line Reiner."

"Does it matter, Annie?"

"Ugh."

"Listen up. We're sending most of you back in attempts to retake Wall Maria. If you are chosen, you will leave at sundown."

Protests and shouts of fear and anger rang out through the morning air. Over the course of the day, people were chosen to be sent on the mission. Among the chosen Armin's grandpa and Eren Yeager were present. Eren's eyes were dull. "It's a suicide mission. I want to kill the titans, but not like this," he says hollowly. Mikasa and Armin were crying silently. "It's almost sundown, I should go."

Armin's grandpa and Eren walked towards the growing crowd by the gate. "Get moving," says a soldier, kicking Eren.

"Wait," Drayce says coming up behind the three. Mikasa and Armin watched him walk up to Eren and pull him out of the crowd.

"What are you doing," the soldier shouted.

"Isn't it obvious? I'll go in place of this boy," Drayce says.

"Well, if your doing that then get going," the soldiers says.

"Eren, I made your dad a promise that I would keep you guys safe. I'm not going to let him down, not by a long shot," Drayce says before rejoining the group of people, katana slung across his back.

"Will they be okay," Armin asks softly, watching their figures grow smaller and smaller.

"They'll be fine," Mikasa replies. "Your lucky he saved you Eren." 250,000 people were sent, a fifth of the population, but less than two hundred returned at the end of the week. Among the survivors were Armin's grandpa and Drayce. Drayce walked back, his arm wrapped in a bloody bandage. The three kids stared at him in shock. He pulled his sword out and cut of the wrapping, revealing a perfectly fine arm.

"Damn titans, a lot of them that ambushed us coming back," he groaned.

"How many did you kill," Eren asked excitedly.

"About twenty. Could've killed more, but I had people to look after." Drayce replied. "I've decided,' Drayce said slowly. "I'm joining the Survey Corps."

A man hobbled up behind Drayce and gave a cheery smile. "Grandpa," Armin shouted. Tears were flowing freely now.

"Did a good job he did," the old man said. "He was the best of us. He gave us hope and a will to fight for our freedom."


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys! So I know I haven't updated in a while. I've been having writers block while sick so that made progress soooo slugish but thankfully, chapter 6 and 7 are coming soon as well. Thank you to the guest that made a review this morning and funny thing was, I was actually gonna post today but summer school can be a bitch sometimes. Thank you so much for the support and happy reading!**

"My name is Keith Shadis. It is your misfortune that you have me as your instructor. I do not welcome you warmly. During your time here, you will learn to be soldiers or titan food. You there! Who the hell are you," he shouted at Armin.

"Armin Arlert from Shiganshina District, sir!"

"That so? What a ridiculous name! Did your father name you that?"

"My grandfather did, sir!"

"Arlert, what did you come here to do?"

"To contribute to mankind's victory, sir!"

"How commendable of you. We'll use you as titan bait. Third line, face backwards!" Keith yelled turning Armin.

"Who the hell are you," Keith yelled at a brown haired boy.

"Jean Kirstein from Trost District, sir!" Jean yelled back.

"What did you come here to do?"

"To enlist in the Military Police Brigade and live within the inner walls, sir."

"I see. So you want to live within the inner walls, huh?"

"Sir!"

Keith suddenly head butts Jean. The boy collapse down to the ground, clutching his head. "Who said you could sit?! Someone who can't succeed here won't make it into the Military Police Brigade!"

"Who the hell are you?! What did you come here to do?"

"Marco Bott from Jinae Village in Wall Rose's southern district, sir! I've come to enlist myself in the Military Police Brigade, and devote myself to serving the king, sir!"

"Really? That's all fine and well. Endeavor for it. However, the king has no desire for your body."

"Your next! Who the hell are you?"

"Connie Spirnger from Ragako Village in Wall Rose's southern district, sir!" Keith grabs Connie's head.

"You got it backwards, Connie Springer. It should be the first thing you learned. That salute is a symbol that openly declares your determination to offer your life. Is your heart on the right side?" A sudden loud crunch was heard. Drayce turned and saw a brown haired girl eating a potato.

 _"Idiot,"_ he thought.

"Hey you. What are you doing?"

The girl continues to chew.

"You, I'm talking to you! Who the hell are you?!"

The girl swallowed and saluted.

"Sasha Braus from Dauper Village in Wall Rose's southern district, sir!"

"Sasha Braus, what the hell is in your right hand?"

"A steamed potato, sir. I happened to see it in the kitchen so I took it, sir!"

"So in other words, you stole it."

"Wrong, I did," Drayce interjected. Sasha's mind reeled. Why would he say that?

"You said what," Keith growled.

"I took the potato on the way here. She looked hungry so I gave it to her," Drayce says monotonous. Keith continued to glare at Drayce but he just looked forward.

"Who the hell are you and why are you here?"

"Drayce Whitler," he lied

"I come from Shiganshina and I'm here because I signed up to be here. Why else?" he continued monotonous. Keith's face was so angry, that almost every recruit stepped back.

"Well, then," Keith said.

"Damn, how long has he been running," said Eren.

"Yep, it's been five hours and he still hasn't broken a sweat," Connie says.

"Sasha, your lucky he took the hit for you," Mina says.

"I still don't understand why he did that," Sasha mutters.

"Maybe because he likes you," Jean tease.

"Shut it horse face or I'll make you and yes I can hear you guys," Drayce yells. The group busts out laughing while Jean turns red in anger.

"Eh, who are you again," Connie asks Eren.

"Eren Yeager. I come from the same district as Armin and Drayce," he replied.

"Whoa! So you were there when the Colossal Titan attacked?" Connie asked in shock.

"What were the titans like?"

"How tall was the Colossal Titan?"

People crowded around Eren, trying to get details about the day the wall fell.

"The Colossal Titan was only tall enough to peek over the wall. I'd say around sixty meters," Eren replied. Stifled gasps were heard.

"What about the titans?"

Flashback Starts

A titan lifts his mom from the rubble. He watches helplessly as the titan breaks her spine with a sickening crack. It proceeds to bring her to its mouth. He continues to watch in terror as the titan bites down.

Flashback Ends

Eren claps his hand to his mouth.

"Guys, lets not ask to many questions. I'm sure there's certain things that he might not want to remember," Marco said.

"No it's fine," Eren said with a new light in his eyes. "The titans aren't that big of a deal. Once we master 3DMG, they'll stand no chance. I'm gonna join the Survey Corps," Eren said. Jean looked across the room and snorted.

"What was that horse face?" Eren called out.

"Why would you join the Survey Corps? That's suicide," Jean asked.

The two boys stared at each other in anger. Finally Jean laughed.

"I'm sorry. I took it too far," he said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Sorry, me too," Eren said just as sarcastic.

Jean walked off and sat back down. Armin walked over to Eren. "Eren, who are they? They've been giving us looks," Armin says nodding to the far corner of the room where four people sat.

"I dunno. I think they're Drayce's friends," Eren says.

They walk over to them. William looks up. "What you want," he asks.

"Er, just wondering, how long have you known Drayce," Eren tentatively asks.

"Our entire lives," Rachel says.

"We're sorry. Where are our manners? I'm George, she's Rachel, that's Mable, and that's William," George offers.

"Eren Yeager was it? You're the one that Drayce saved from the exodus," Mable says.

"Yeah, he also helped protect Armin's grandpa," he said clapping Armin's shoulder.

"If you don't mind, I'd want to keep that experience on the down low," said a voice behind Eren.

"Drayce! Thanks for protecting my grandfather," Armin says gratefully.

"Yeah, and thanks for taking my spot," Eren said.

"Are all of you from Shiganshina?" Armin asks.

"Yeah. I've seen you before at the bookstore before," Mable says.

"Oh yeah," Armin replies, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

"Come on, it's getting late. Let's go to bed," Drayce says.

"Nice meeting you guys," Armin says cheerfully.

"Today we begin your aptitude training," Keith yells. The trainees scramble to a station to practice.

"Whitler, Ackerman! Very good! Yeager right yourself," Keith yells. Eren is completely upside down. Drayce raises an eyebrow. Later that night, Drayce sits with Armin, Eren, and Mikasa.

"Eren, I don't really know how to say it. You just do it I guess. Just try to balance your weight. After all, even I managed to succeed," Armin says.

"You'll be fine. Just make sure to check your gear before the test," Mikasa says. Drayce stays silent but nods in agreement.

"Bertholt, Reiner, come on please. I heard you guys were good at it. Please help me," Eren pleads.

"I'm sorry, I can't think of a good trick right now," Reiner says crossing his arms.

"Let's go Eren," Armin says.

"Wait. You two are from Shiganshina right," Bertholt asks.

"Yeah, why," Eren asks.

"You know the terror of the titans. Not like the rest of them," Bertholt continues waving his hand around the room. "And yet, you still aim to join the Survey Corps. Why is that?" he finishes.

"Well I didn't witness the titan horror first hand but I felt that I couldn't just sit around after the government forced those people on the mission..." Armin trailed off. His eyes landed on Drayce. He was gripping the edge of his bed, staring at a photo.

"Well then, I see," Reiner muses. Soon Eren, Armin, Bertholt, and Reiner were walking through the forest.

"They're mostly here to try and live up to society's expectations. You're seen as a coward if you choose production work when you turn twelve. Society has pushed them into becoming trainees." Bertholt said. "You see, with that being the case, I'm going to join the Military Police so I can be safe within the interior. But if I don't succeed, I might give up entirely. You see, I don't have any sort of willpower to be called my own."

"There's nothing wrong with valuing your life," Armin says gently.

"Well, I intend to go back to my hometown. Do what ever it takes," Reiner declares.

"So why do you want to be a soldier," Bertholt asked Eren.

"I made a vow to kill them all. I'll do it with my bare hands," Eren says.

"So your encounters with the titans only strengthened your will. That's good," Bertholt says.

"Now I just have to find out if I can be a soldier," Eren says, staring at the moon.

"You'll do fine. Check your gear. Eren Yeager was it?"

"Thanks. Reiner Braun, right?"

"Eren Yeager, are you ready for your aptitude test?" Keith yelled.

"Yes sir ," Eren replied.

"Begin."

 _"To all hell with logic. It's baseless to say but guts are the only thing I have left. They are my weapons,"_ he thought. The wires began to lift him up. He hung steadily, all around him, the trainers whooped. Eren looked around and saw Drayce's narrowed eyes locked on him. Eren flipped and crashed to the ground.

"N-Not yet! I can still do it," he stammered.

"Let him down," Keith said. "Final evaluation report for Eren Yeager..." Drayce stepped forward and whispered something in Keith's ear.

"Really then? Wagner, switch belts with Yeager," Keith said, surprised.

"Yes sir," Thomas said. The trainees shuffled around confused. Eren saw a hint of a smile from Drayce.

"Try again. Lift him up," Keith says. This time, Eren balanced perfectly fine. "You had defective gear. Still impressive that you managed to balance for a few seconds with defective gear," Keith said.

"What about my aptitude test?" Eren asked.

"You have passed. Keep training hard," Keith said.

 _"I did it! I can finally kill the titans! Mikasa, you don't have to look after me now,"_ Eren thought.

"Looks like things worked out for him," Reiner said.

Armin smiled, "His eyes say, 'What do you think of that?'"

"No," Mikasa said. "He feels relieved that he can leave me now."

"That's not true Mikasa. He'll always need you, even if he denies he does. Your his only family left," Drayce says. She smiles a bit at this. Drayce remains poker faced, though a pained expression was just barely visible on his face.

"Grisha, today your son became a soldier," Keith thought.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm just bored right now so I was like, "Fuck it. Im just gonna upload a new chapter." I'm thinking about a monthly schedule for uploads because with high school, things are going to be busy. What do you guys think? Thanks and happy reading.**

 **SLAM**

Reiner fell to the floor, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Sorry, I'm not good at holding back," Eren says sheepishly as he helps Reiner up.

"It's fine. Hey, look. Annie and Drayce are slacking off," Reiner says grinning evilly. "Let's teach them a lesson," he says slyly.

"Reiner, there's a reason why the commandant let's Drayce skip this part. Well Annie just thinks it's boring," Eren says nervously.

"I have a plan, don't worry," Reiner continues. He sneaks up and pushes Drayce into Annie. Everyone stops and steps back a few feet.

"Watch where your going," Annie hisses at Drayce.

"Well, not my fault you're too short for me to see you," he retorts.

"We'll see who's talking after I'm through with you," Annie says, assuming her stance. Drayce sighs and takes his form.

"Care to bet?" Reiner asked Jean.

"Sure, 5 sils on Annie in 10 minutes," he whispers back.

Reiner snorts. "Really? 5 sils on Drayce in 7 minutes."

The match starts and Drayce charges at Annie. She narrowed her eyes and brings her leg up for a kick. As she strikes, Drayce drops, easily avoiding the attack. He slams a fist into the back of her knee and she goes down. Drayce turns and goes for a kick but Annie rolls away.

"Not bad," she admits.

"Well, your not going to like the next move," he says grinning. He leaps at Annie, grabbing her shoulders and tackling her down.

"What is he doing?!" Eren says.

"Hey just watch. Annie has no chance," William says.

"You see how he uses the momentum," Mable points out.

"Which results into that," George finishes pointing to Drayce and Annie. Drayce rolls forward still gripping Annie and throws her off him. She lies in a heap on the ground. He walks over and she sweeps his legs. He lands with an "oof". Annie stands over him, planting a foot on his chest.

"Lesson one, don't let your guard down," she says. She starts to walk away but Drayce gets up and sweeps her feet right back. "Well here's lesson two then. Don't walk away from a fight until it is declared over," He leans in with a small smile and says softly. "And this fight is over."

Annie could feel a slight blush going up her cheeks. She couldn't help but like how he fought and his mentality. While helping her up, Drayce sees this and smirks. "Good fight," he says swiftly.

"Yeah sure," she mumbles, still embarrassed. Seeing everyone still staring, he glares and says

"Aren't you supposed to be training? That is unless you want your butt handed to you," Everyone scrambled back, not wanting to get on his bad side.

Later that night, they are all in the mess room. Jean and Eren are arguing as normal. Drayce walks up and try's to break up the fight starting. He gets punched by Jean and a photo falls out. Jean picks it up.

"Who are these?" he taunts.

"Give it back," he says quietly.

"Dropouts, weaklings?" he continues.

"They weren't weak," he growls.

"Oh shit," William says, turning pale. Drayce's eyes flickered between red and gold.

"Then why aren't they here? Go back to your mommy and daddy if you're gonna cry," Jean continues.

"WELL, MAYBE I CAN'T BECAUSE ALL OF THEM ARE DEAD!" Drayce explodes. He kicks down the door and storms out. Silence. William sees the photo and suddenly everything clicks.

"OK, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" William shouts angrily. Jean falters.

"What do you mean?" Everyone starts crowding and Rachel quietly starts the story.

"All the people in the picture were our friends. We were all taken away at birth because of our, umm, differences. We were kept by the Military Police, unable to leave, ever. For eight years, we were beaten, whipped, experimented, and tortured. Drayce protected us. He very often takes our place when we were getting hurt. Eight years of that does something to someone, Jean," she says softly.

"His natural eye color isn't gold. The strain changed it from black to brown to gold," William says. Everyone stares open mouthed.

"When we were eight, we were transferred to another corporation. Two years after that, we escaped. Except not everyone made it. Five of his friends were murdered before his eyes. He took it very hard on himself. He thought he wasn't able to protect them. He decimated half the base's army trying to defend them. A few months after we escaped, his parents were murdered as well. So now what will he do? He's got nothing left. So here he is at the Trainees Corps," George finishes.

"Jean, you should apologize to him. He didn't need to remember any of that," Marco says.

"He's been through so much," Mable says.

"Wait, who's not here?" Rachel asks.

"Oh, Annie went to bed early," Mina pipped. "At least I think," she adds.

Annie ran hard through the forest. _"Where did he go?"_ she thinks. Frustrated, she runs to the one place she finds clarity. She comes to a clearing and sees him staring out to the lake and moon.

"Drayce," she says softly.

"Who do you see every night?" he asks heavily.

"I see my mom, she's just as beautiful as I remembered," she says, sitting next to him.

"Did you ever think that whatever happened, you were powerless to stop it no matter what?" he continues.

"Yes. I felt so helpless just looking at my dad kill my mom. She was turned into a titan," she adds softly.

"I should go," she says quickly. She stands up but Drayce grabs her hand.

"No, you can stay," he says quietly. Annie sits back down and notices his hand still in hers. He takes out another picture.

"Who are they," she asks, eyes gazing over it.

"Mom, dad, Uncle Kenny, and Aunt Kutchel. There's my cousin Levi and here's my little sister..." he trails off. Annie's eyes widen at the girl being hugged in the picture by Drayce.

"Is that Mikasa?" she whispers.

"Yeah. Although she doesn't remember me. The memory serum," he explains.

"Why? Why are you showing me this?" Annie asks confused.

"Because you're someone that can relate to my pain," he says. "Were just the different sides of the same coin, Annie."

"No, we're very different. You won't like me if you saw who I really am," she said, looking downcast.

"You came from Marley. I think I would have an idea about who you really are," he said rolling his eyes. "Come on, let's go back," he mumbled. They walked back to the cabins in silence.

"Hey, Annie."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks and good night."

With this, they went back towards their cabins.

Annie took her tray and sat down at an empty table. Her mind was still replaying the events of last night. Her best friend, Mina, sidled up next to her. She looked at Drayce and back to Annie.

"So, what happened last night?" Mina asked.

"We talked," Annie replied shortly. She looked over at him. She was surprised about his horrific past but even more so about his family.

"Hellooo? Earth to Annie," Mina said, snapping her back to reality. "You were staring at Drayce for a pretty long time," she said grinning.

"What do you think about him?" Annie asks. "Oh, I don't know. I was so sad to hear about his past, but I think people are just scared of him when they heard about him going, you know, berserker mode. Why ask?" she said.

"No reason." She gets up to put her tray away. When she reaches to put her tray away, her hand brushes against Drayce's own hand. She felt a small jolting feeling. What was this feeling? She hadn't felt this way towards anyone else. She didn't have a crush on him did she? She turned red and avoided his gaze. Drayce raised an eyebrow at this and she quickly sat back down.

"You totally like him," Mina declared when Drayce was out of earshot.

"Shut up, I do not," Annie mumbled turning redder.

"If you say so," Mina said grinning. The trainees gathered outside after breakfast.

"Attention cadets! Today will be your final evaluation. Due to circumstances, the amount of people eligible to freely choose the branch they wish to join has been upped to fifteen this year. Good luck," Keith says.

Rain pours hard down on them. Armin is breathing heavy and is lagging behind.

"What's wrong Arlert?! If you can't keep up, you'll be titan food!" Keith exclaims. Reiner runs back to Armin and grabs his pack.

"Come on! You don't want to fail do you? We're being graded today," he says shouldering the pack.

"But you'll get points taken off!" Armin exclaims.

"Well I'll try not to get caught," Reiner replies.

 _"Reiner Braun. He has both a robust physique and mental comrades also have great trust in him,"_ Keith thinks.

 _"No! I'd rather be dead then be a burden!"_ Armin thinks. He grabs the pack back from Reiner and accelerates forward.

 _"Armin Arlert. Though he lacks physical strength, he makes up for it with his extraordinary aptitude in the classroom."_ Keith notes. Soon they move on to Titan dummies. One is raised and Jean, Bertholt, and Annie slice the nape.

 _"Annie Leonhart. Her slices are flawless, though her reclusive attitude makes her a poor choice for coordination efforts."_

 _"Bertholt Hoover. Possess a lot of potential but lacks the will to do so."_

 _"Jean Kirschtein. Top 3D mobility class but his attitude causes friction with others."_

"Argh, I can't cut as good as them so I'll have to find them first!" he says. Nearby, Drayce darts from tree to tree.

 _"Drayce Whitler. Top of the class by a wide margin, he possesses inhuman amounts of strength, speed, and stamina. Able to navigate without the use of 3D gear. Very protective of his comrades and keeps a strong mentality."_ Drayce slices quickly into a dummy and pushes off.

 _"Found one,"_ Jean thinks proudly.

"Thanks Jean! I knew following you was a good idea," Connie says appearing above him.

"Huh?"

"Wee! I got it!" Sasha remarks and disappears upwards. Rachel and Mable then soar by and also cut into the dummy.

"Too slow," Mable called out back to Jean and Connie.

 _"Sasha Braus. Has good intuition but shows poor teamwork as a result. Connie Springer. Excels at quick turns but is also a bit dim-witted,"_ Keith evaluates.

 _"Rachel Krest and Mable Green. Both excel at teamwork but individually are weaker. Rachel's slices are above average but has trouble keeping a clear head during a crisis."_

Mikasa zips by and cuts deeply followed by George, William, and Eren.

"You good there Eren?" George shouts.

"Shallower than Mikasa again," Eren exclaims.

"Keep trying, mate," William says, pulling up next to him. "You'll get it eventually."

 _"Mikasa Ackerman. Second to Drayce Whitler. Proficient in every area. She has a strong sense of right and wrong. George Gaylent. An excellent engineer. Gets out of sticky situations with his understanding of 3D Maneuver gear though he tends to create the sticky situations himself. William Kent. Able to keep calm in almost any situation and make the right decision. Has potential but relies on others for confirmation. Eren Yeager. No special abilities but his sense of purpose is twice as strong as anyone else's."_

"Congratulations. The fifteen people who are standing before you are the top graduates. Give your hearts!"

"Yes sir!"

The top fifteen were standing in ranking order. Drayce, Mikasa, William, Riener, Bertholt, Annie, Eren, Jean, George, Mable, Rachel, Marco, Connie, Sasha, and Christa. "Yes! Now I'm in the Military Police," Connie shouted happily.

"No more having to worry about food," Sasha squealed.

"Argh. I still can't believe I ranked under that damned suicidal bastard," Jean grumbled, taking another deep swig of his drink.

"Wait. Your not going to join the Military Police Eren," Thomas asked in disbelief.

"No. I set my mind on the Survey Corps. I trained to fight, not to live in the interior," Eren said.

"Same goes for me. Never wanted to see the damned Military Police again," Drayce said coming up behind Eren. Some trainees shuffled nervously around him.

"We can't beat them," Thomas yelled. The room went deadly silent.

"Oh really?" Drayce walked over to Thomas.

"If we can't beat them, then how come I'm still alive after the exodus?" he asked leisurely. He pulls his katana out. "Because I fought. And because I fought, I beat them," he said.

"There's no way you were in the exodus," Jean retorted walking over. Drayce's eyes flashed with anger.

"First you insult my dead friends and now you call me a liar? Be thankful I didn't take your head of with this sword the first time," Drayce growled.

"It's true. He helped protect my grandpa. That's why he's still alive," Armin says.

"Besides the only reason we lost to them was because of how little we know about them. Through the years, we gained valuable information about them. We're not just going to throw that all away and become titan fodder are we?! To hell with this! I'm not going to be stuck within these walls! I'm going to drive them extinct and leave! That's my dream," Eren shouted. He stormed outside followed by Armin and Mikasa.

"Eren, what you said earlier about your dream..." Armin said.

"Yeah. It was inspired by your ideas about seeing the whole world," Eren said.

"I'm going to join the Survey Corps!"

"Armin! You should join the Garrison Regiment! Your skill would be useful there," Eren said shocked.

"I'd just be a burden to them. I'd rather die then hold anyone up," Armin said.

"I'm joining the Survey Corps too," Mikasa says.

"What!? Not you too!" Eren exclaims.

"I'll join where you join but I am not allowing you an early death," she says. "I don't want to loose more family," she continued. "Let's go back inside. We have a long day of work tomorrow now that we graduated," she says dragging Eren back inside.


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm thinking about switching the upload schedule to once every two weeks because I just realized how long of a wait a month is. Extra long one this time. I'm sorry if it seems a bit rushed but then again, I'm not exactly an expert writer. Happy reading!**

Fire burns intensely. Shouting is every where. Drayce looks around. He sees an all too familiar hallway. He walks down it and sees himself holding Christie's lifeless hand. Next to her are the rest of them. Boone, Tom, Megan, and Ivan. His younger self looks up at him.

"Why didn't you save them? Why?"

He stares at their lifeless forms. "Why couldn't I?"

The fire grows and morphs into wooden walls. His mother and father are lying on the floor. They're dead and still bleeding. A young Mikasa looks up at him with her dead eyes.

"Why couldn't you save family?" He ran out the door. He sees his dead friends walking towards him.

"It hurts."

"Why did you let us down?"

"Why?"

"Why Drayce?"

His parents are at the door behind him. Tears were streaming down their faces. They surround him. Drayce falls to his knees. He can't breathe. He's choking, desperately gasping for air. Their cries echo in his head growing louder and louder each time. He wakes up with a start. He's sweating and gasping. He hadn't had that nightmare in a long time. He silently curses himself and gets out of his bed. He walks out the door into the cool air. The soft moonlight illuminated the training grounds. He walked into the cafeteria and sat down on a bench. He put his head in between his knees.

"Came to see what was going on," said a soft voice. Annie's crystal blue eyes bore into his. "You're pretty loud," she continued.

"Did you have a nightmare as well?" he asked. She nodded.

"Funny. I just had one myself not too long ago," he said humorlessly. Annie sat down next to him. He looked at her.

"When I was a kid, I made a promise to them. That I would always come back no matter what. I wanted to be there for them. Annie. I'm going to make the same promise to you," he said.

"Wait, why," she asked confused.

"Because I've liked you for a long time. I want to help you through your pain that I see everyday behind those eyes. You don't have to hide anymore," he said softly. The effects of her nightmare and stress collapsed on her at that moment. Tears silently started to stream down Annie's face as she broke down. She rested her head on his shoulder and Drayce put a protective arm over her shoulders.

"Thank you Drayce," she said quietly sobbing. They sat there for minutes, turning to an hour before finally falling asleep. In the morning, Drayce woke up in his bed and groaned.

"Snagged yourself a girl. Nice," William said smirking.

"Shut up," Drayce grumbled back.

"Me and Rachel had to carry you guys back before the rest of the barracks woke up. Rachel herself almost woke up the entire place with her squeal," William continued.

"Glad she didn't because if she did, I would've started knocking some heads," Drayce replied.

"Do you have any idea how hard it was to get you back up the top bunk? Man you were heavy," William complained.

"What did you expect," he asked back gesturing to his body.

"Oh yeah. Dark steel bones and everything," William said.

"Come on let's go. I'm sure your girlfriend wants to say good morning," William continued teasingly.

PUNCH

"What was that for?"

"Making fun of me."

PUNCH

"OW! Dude!"

"And that was for banging my head on the ladder last night."

"Ugh."

The trainees scaled the wall. They began to walk to the cannons.

"The Survey Corps shaped up in the last five years," Eren said awed.

"Yeah. They also upgraded the cannons. I doubt the Colossal Titan would appear again."

"Yeah!"

"You idiotic couple. Just because of that, it doesn't mean the titans will stop," Eren said.

"Hey, guys," said Hannes running towards them.

"I heard you guys graduated yesterday. You squirts really shaped up," Hannes said.

"You too. Your the chief of the Engineers Corps," Eren replied.

"Look, I'm sorry I couldn't save your mom. Drayce, thank you for saving us that day," Hannes said sadly.

"It's fine Hannes. We're not like what we were before. We're stronger," Eren said calmly. Drayce nodded in agreement.

"Come on, let's get on with our maintenance work," Drayce said.

"See y'all. Don't go and die," Hannes called out.

"Wait, Connie! Your joining the Survey Corps?" Eren asked seeing the boy.

"Yeah I am," he said polishing the cannon.

"It seemed that your speech convinced him," Mina said coming up behind them.

"Shut up! I decided on my own," Connie said turning pink.

"Your not the only one," Thomas said.

"Hey guys," Sasha said. "I stole some meat from the officer storehouse," she said showing them.

"Your crazy!"

"Do you want to be in solitary confinement?!"

"We can share it later. Besides, once we take back Wall Maria, there will be plenty of room for animals," she says hiding the meat in a crate.

"I'll help eat the meat," Samuel says.

"Yeah save me some!" Connie says.

"I'll also have some meat of course," Mina says.

"Come on guys, we need to get back to work. I need to fix my gear," says Drayce.

 _"Five years since the disaster. Humanity has regained dignity, we can win!"_ Eren thinks. Lightning strikes and a colossal face appears. Steam blows the trainees off the wall.

"Crap! Drayce!" Mina yelled frantically.

"Huh?"

Drayce is free falling. "His gear! Get it," Eren shouted.

Sasha snagged it as it fell. Drayce grunted and took out his katana, stabbing it into the wall, slowing his fall.

"Drayce! Get Samuel," Thomas yelled.

Drayce pulled his katana out and ran down the wall, catching Samuel and crashing to the floor.

"The gates have been breached," Eren yells. "Our target is straight ahead! The Colossal Titan! Don't let it get away! Now is our chance," Eren shouted. He fired his anchors and launches upwards. He lands in a crouch.

"Oi, it been five years." The Colossal Titan swept its arm obliterating the cannons. Eren jumped on its arm and ran up it. He launched off and fired his hooks onto the neck and reels in. He was just about to slice when a second blast of steam was emitted. He was blasted back.

 _"This is hot!"_ he thought. He yelled with defiance and reeled in again, slicing... Nothing. The Colossal Titan disappeared just like it had five years ago.

Thomas appeared and yelled "Eren, we have to get back to HQ."

"The wall has been breached we need to get ready to fight," Drayce roared, appearing with his fixed gear.

Back at HQ, the whole place is in panic. People rushed everywhere, getting supplies. Most of the trainees were cowering in fear.

"Eren," Mikasa shouted.

"It's happening," he says grimly.

"Ackerman, your with me in the rear guard," Ian, a Garrison soldier, said.

"Eren if it gets to chaotic, come find me. Things will go wrong in battle so come find me," she begged.

"I'll be fine Mikasa," he said brushing her off. "This is humanity we're talking about. Get a grip. It's not like you to panic! No one gives a damn on what you want," he yelled back.

"I'm sorry," she says. "I wasn't thinking straight," she mumbles.

"Hey. She's worried about you. You don't just throw something away like that. You mean a lot to her. Don't make me regret that promise to your dad," Drayce says. Eren stared mouth gaping. Drayce runs back to his friends.

"Look, I'm not going to be with you guys so take care. Don't die. I'll come back to you guys I promise," he says looking them in the eye.

"I won't have any more of my loved ones die, not anymore." William, George, Annie, Rachel, and Mable watch him walk back to his squad.

"He'll be fine right?" Annie asks.

"He'll be fine," Rachel says. The squads launch out and. Drayce flies out with his squad.

"Damn! There are more of them then I expected," Eren says.

"We need to eliminate a few of them that are in our path," Drayce shouts back. He fired his hooks forward and swung in. The rest of the group followed. A sudden movement caught his attention.

"Scatter," he screamed. The group landed on nearby buildings. Eren saw Thomas right in the path of the abnormal. He saw Drayce jump in, pushing Thomas out the way. Drayce's elbow was caught in the titan's mouth. His other arm pinned against a church tower. His blades are impaled in his thigh and abdomen. The group stares in shock and horror. The titan proceeds to swallow him but as it does, a dark piece of metal appears at its throat, cutting its way down. Drayce flies out with a look of absolute fury and slices the nape of the titan's neck. He crashes into a heap on the ground next to the steaming body. The group flies down to check on him. Drayce is bloodied and angry.

"Damn titan came out of nowhere. I hate abnormals," he complained getting up.

"You're injured! You can't be fighting like this," Mina squeaked, face ashy. Drayce pulled out the blades from his flesh.

"It doesn't matter what conditions I'm in. I'll fight to the death. As long as I can push through it," he says grimacing as blood blossoms from his stomach. He rips his uniform to fashion a band aid and wraps it tightly over his wounds. He launches up, katana in hand and continues going.

The group is ambushed by titans. They came from all sides, providing no foreseeable escape. They stare in horror at the oncoming monstrosities.

"You guys go, I'll hold them off and don't give me that damned speech on why I shouldn't do this. If we don't, we all die. You'll have a better chance of survival if I hold them off," Drayce says.

"Argh! Fine! Try not to die! Let's go!" Thomas yelled. The others launch off but no such luck. A few titans hone in on the escapees. One pulls on the wires, yanking them back. One corners Armin on the roof of a house, and Eren gets his leg bitten off. Armin screams in terror as a hand reaches towards him and brings him closer and closer into his mouth.

"Armin..." Eren croaks weakly. Armin is slipping down his the creature's throat. Eren suddenly grabs Armin's arm and pulls him back out.

"Eren! Hurry get out!"

"Armin..." Eren reaches out and the teeth chomp down, swallowed Eren and walks off.

"Armin, we have to go," Mina yells. "Drayce sacrificed himself so we could escape! We have to leave! The regroup signal was given," Mina said. The squad stares back at the mass of titans with guttural roars coming from Drayce. The squad flies off and regroups. They had already lost their heaviest hitter. The titans in the area had dispersed already. Armin sat crying on the corner.

"Hey, Armin get up! We need to move. The retreat signal was just given when you arrived," Connie said. Mikasa landed next to Annie.

"Annie, I'm sorry for asking and I understand the situation but have you seen Eren," she asks.

"No but his squad is over there," she says pointing at Armin.

 _"How do I tell Mikasa? I can't,"_ he thought frantically.

"Armin, what happened," Mikasa asked shaking him. Tears were streaming down his face.

"Of squad 34, Drayce Whitler and Eren Yeager have fulfilled their duty and died on the battlefield to aid our escape," he shouted. Silence.

"The top graduate dead?!"

"That's it! We're done for!"

The declaration hit Annie like a brick. He was dead. Killed by the titans. Never to come back.

"We need to move," Mikasa declared. "With our combined power, we can make it to HQ, resupply, and retreat. We can kill the titans in the supply room. I'll clear a path for us. Now are you just going to stand there and let our comrades' deaths be meaningless?" she shouted. She ran off and launched into the air.

"Yeah! Come on you spineless cowards," Sasha yelled jumping. A collective roar rose up and the recruits launched into the air.

"Wow! Mikasa truly is amazing. How can she move so fast," Connie thought.

"She's using way too much gas! She'll run out at this rate," Armin thought as Mikasa killed another titan. Her gas steam sputtered out and she crashed down on a trash below.

"Crap! Armin! Go find Mikasa! I'll join up soon," Connie yelled swerving away. Mikasa laid on the bags and held up a fragmented blade, blocking out the sun.

"This pain is familiar," she thinks. "Do I have to start over?" A titan rounded the corner. "There's nothing more." The titan swung but she jumped back. "Huh? I'm sure I gave up..." Another hand smashed into the wall again. She flew backwards. "What's driving me?"

"Fight! Fight! Win and live!" Images flashed through her mind. Eren's peaceful sleeping face. She covered her mouth.

"I'm sorry Eren. If I died, I wouldn't be able to remember you. I promise I'll always fight to win," she thought. She got up, gripping the remaining blade and yelled with defiance. A second roar came from behind her. A giant foot stomped down next to her and a titan punched Mikasa's attacker. She looked up at her savior. Fifteen meters high and covered with muscles. It screamed and Mikasa covered her ears as she watched it stomp the titan's neck into a bloody pulp.

"A titan killing another Titan?" she thought with shock.

"Mikasa!" Armin swooped in and carried Mikasa to a nearby roof. Connie landed with a skid next to them.

"You guys alright? We have to go. There are two fifteen meter class here," he said urgently.

"No that one is..." Mikasa trailed off.

"Huh?" Armin noticed a steaming skeleton from the direction of where the titan came from. The titan roared and his challenger roared back. The Rouge Titan assumed a stance and the other Titan charged. The Rouge Titan threw a punch, decapitating the titan. As soon as the head left the body, the nape was sliced off. The trio's eyes widened.

"What killed it," Connie asked looking around.

"I don't know," Mikasa said awestruck. Nearby another Titan fell dead. The killer unseen.

"Who was that?"

The moment the titans converged and started ripping Drayce apart, he felt nothing but pain. Time seemed to stop. His vision turned red and six words ran through his mind.

"Pain. This is why I fight." His pupils slowly changed from gold to red. He began to giggle, the it grew to an insane laugh. He tore his entire body away from the titans, laughing. He moved with blinding speed, ripping into titan flesh with his sword.

"Come out and play," he called out and chuckled insanely. He fell to his knees clutching his head, eyes bugging. The pupil color flickered.

"Must get to HQ," he grunted. His eye color reverted back to red.

"You have no control! I am free, finally. I will not let you take this away from me," he hissed. He pushed on into the air, moving with ease. He sliced another titan and dived headfirst into a group of titans.

"Too slow," he cackled. He turned and sliced the nape. Wires zipped past him. He turned and saw Annie. Her eyes were determined but he also saw something else, grief.

"She thinks I'm dead," he thinks. His eyes revert to gold as his crazy streak fades. "They're going to HQ to refuel, but that's suicide," he thinks. "My gas tank is almost still full. I'll need it all to get there as fast as possible," he launched and sped away. Almost at that instant, a titan's head flew past him. He saw the Rouge Titan. He rushed over and sliced the headless titan. He stole a glance at Mikasa, Armin, and Connie. They were safe. But where was Eren? He streaked across the sky, killing another titan. He climbed into an abandoned house to catch his breath. He sees Mikasa, Armin, and Connie streak by, the Rouge Titan following them. They were heading towards HQ. He watched them enter the building through a window and he got up. He sliced through the wall and launched into the air.

"Titans are swarming the sides of HQ! Oh well, I'll just go through the top," he thought. He fired his hooks at the top, jumped up, and rocketed down towards the tiles.

"So we take the lift down to the fuel room. The mass of the people should draw the titans in. Once they get close enough, we blind them with the guns and now this is the crucial part. Seven people will then strike simultaneously, killing them. Now ideally we would need the seven fittest people to do this. I'm sorry for putting this responsibility on you guys," Armin said.

"Don't worry. The odds are about the same anyways," Reiner says slapping Armin's back. As, Reiner, Bertholt, William, Mikasa, Annie, Jean, and Mable made their way down the stairs, the rest of the recruits gathered into the lift.

"Ready your guns," Marco said. He cocked back the hammer. The titans walked up to the large mass of people and peered at them creepily.

"Ready, aim..."

A figure crashed down from the ceiling.

"An eighth titan?" Armin thought frantically. It darted around the titans, faster than they could track it. Finally, it landed in a crouch. It was a soldier. Multiple wounds were on his body.

"Checkmate," he said. Annie felt her heart beating faster. William couldn't help but grin. Drayce sheathed his sword and the titans suddenly jerked as they were killed. The recruits climbed out of their positions and stared in shock. Standing in front of them was Drayce, alive and whole. He faced his friends with a grin.

"I did say I would come back, didn't I?"

"Way to go man! We all thought you were dead," Reiner said slapping his back a bit to enthusiastically. Blood dribbled down his chin and he coughed.

"A little easy on that stuff please. Several titans went munching on me," he groaned. Reiner's eyes widened.

"Woah! Sorry. I didn't mean too," Reiner said looking concerned.

"It's fine," Drayce replied. Annie punched him hard in the stomach and he went down.

"What are you all still looking at? Go resupply," Annie ordered.

"I'm thinking I deserved that," Drayce wheezed. She pulled him into a hug.

"Don't ever scare me like that," she said.

"Yeah sure," he said hugging her back slightly surprised. She was never one for physical contact. She must have really cared about him. The recruits launched into the air to rejoin with the other soldiers that have retreated. Drayce spots Mikasa on the roof and swerved and lands next to her. He sees the Rouge Titan surrounded by titans, gnawing away at it. It let out a growl in pain.

"We should save it," Mikasa said.

"Save a titan?! No way," Jean exclaimed.

"But the power of a titan with us would be greater than any cannon right?" Annie agreed.

 _"Come on, come on,"_ Drayce thought. Slowly, a new fire arose in its eyes. It took one step after another. One after another, its arm were ripped off by titans but it didn't seem to care. It honed in on an oncoming titan's neck, bit down, and lifted it up. Its bones shifted back in place and flesh stretched over it. The Rouge Titan turned and slammed the two smaller titans with the titan in his mouth. He turned completely and threw the dead titan onto an oncoming fat one which got smashed into a building. It roared and fell down completely exhausted. Steam began to pour from its body.

"You wanted to save that," Jean said. "A titan is a titan. Let's go," he continued. But the group stayed and continue watching. "What now?" Jean asked, turning around, clearly annoyed. An opening formed at the nape and a human body was visible.

 _"So he's a shifter like me. It has become clear to me that Eren is the Attack Titan, the only other titan that can shift again,"_ Drayce thought. Mikasa zipped down and ran towards Eren, focusing only on him. She hugged him and put her head to his chest. She heard his heart beat and her eyes widened as she began to cry, not caring who saw it.

"So, Eren did all this," Jean said awed.


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: I know my formatting sucks but I spent about 2 hours in total today fixing the chapters. Your welcome. Let's hope this is better than before and that your eyes won't die from reading this. Happy reading and please remember to review!**

"ONCE AGAIN I SHALL ASK! ARE YOU A HUMAN OR A TITAN?!" Weilman screamed.

"I'M A HUMAN," Eren screamed back.

Armin, Mikasa, and Drayce watched tensely at the scene unfolding before them.

"I see. Don't take this personally," Captain Weilman said darkly. He raised his hand and dropped it. The cannon fired. The shot flew towards them.

"Shit," Drayce cursed. Eren grabbed them and bit down on his hand. Lightning struck down on them as a ribcage formed around them. The titan's hand moved up and blocked the shot. Smoke and steam from the cannon and Eren rose into the sky.

"What was that?!"

"A single cannon fire?!"

"Is that titan steam?!"

Jean, Annie, Reiner, Bertholt, William, and Rachel rushed towards the commotion. The smoke cleared and the soldiers shock were present on their faces. The titan's eye twitched as Eren opened his eyes. A jet of steam shot out as he exited the fleshy shell. He stared at the back of a huge skull. "What is that!"

He gaped at it and tugged himself free. "Guys, are you okay?" he shouted, running around towards his friends.

"We're fine. What is this?" Armin called out.

"I don't know but it's starting to disintegrate like a regular titan body," Eren said. "There's one thing I remember now. The basement of my old house. I'm getting out of here. I'm going to transform again and climb the walls. You can come if you want," Eren declared.

"Don't be stupid. They'll shoot us on sight and you won't be able to get up the walls without getting your arms blasted off," Drayce said.

 _"With my calculations and the amount of time it takes to reload that cannon at top speed, I'd say we have twenty seconds left,"_ Armin thought. "I have a plan, but you guys have to trust me on this," Armin says.

They all nod and Armin runs out of the smoke, dropping his gear. He comes out and faces the soldiers with his hands up. "Eren is not an enemy of humanity. We are willing to disclose what we have learned," Armin shouted.

"Too late! It doesn't change the fact that he's a titan," Weilman shouted back.

"The problem isn't how we see him! Since you saw him emerging from his titan form, you also must have saw how he fought the titans, as well as how they attacked him. The facts are there! They also saw him as prey! Nothing can change that!" Armin reasoned.

The soldiers murmured to each other, lowering their weapons. "Do not fall for his clever tricks. Their behavior has always been beyond what we could understand. It is completely possible that they have disguised themselves as humans and speak our language to deceive us," Weilman screamed. "Prepare to fire!"

Armin slammed his fist to his heart and saluted. "As a soldier, it is my greatest honor to give my life to help with the restoration of humanity. With the final moments of my life, I will continue to support his strategic value in reclaiming this city," Armin shouted.

"Captain Weilman, I do believe we should take his words into consi-" Ian said before getting interrupted.

"He is a traitor and nothing can change that! Prepare to fire," Weilman ordered. As he raised his hand, Eren's hand inched towards his mouth. Drayce and Mikasa, hands on their sabers.

"That's enough," a voice said from behind Weilman.

"Commander Pixis," Weilman stuttered.

"Can you not see that boy's excellent salute?" Pixis continued. "Come. We will discuss this later," he said, eyes twinkling.

"Back there, were you saying the things you said to save your lives or as an actual plausible plan," Pixis questioned Armin. Armin looked down from the wall.

"Well, it was both. We were in a desperate situation," Armin confessed.

"What was your plan," Pixis asked, taking a swig from his hip flask.

"Well, Eren would transform and in his titan form, lift up that massive boulder, carry it to the wall and plug the hole in the wall," Armin explained. Commander Pixis contemplated this thought and turned to face Eren.

"Eren can you plug the hole in the wall?" he asked.

"I don't know sir. Even in my-" Pixis laughed interrupted his sentence.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I asked the wrong question. Will you plug the hole in the wall?" he asked with a serious look. Eren's eyes widened as he understood what Commander Pixis meant.

"Yes sir! I don't know if I can do it but I will do it, for humanity," Eren says.

"Good," Pixis says with a smile.

"Sir, me and Armin came up with a plan to avoid combat unless absolutely necessary," Drayce says clapping Armin's back.

"Well since titans are generally attracted to large groups of people, so a group of soldiers will be on the farthest area of the wall. It should stop them from targeting Eren save the ones that will come through the walls," Armin says.

"Since we can't leave Eren by himself, we'll have a small elite squad with him to help defend him," Drayce finishes.

Commander Pixis nods and says to his subordinate, "Round up the troops."

"ATTENTION!" Pixis's voice carried down to the soldiers underneath him.

"I will now explain the mission to retake Trost. Meet Eren Yeager. He is the result of our experiments," Pixis says. Drayce grits his teeth as he remembers his own human testings.

"He can create a titan body at will. He will carry the boulder to the gate and plug the hole. Your job is to lure the titans away from him!" Pixis shouts.

"Eren, let's go," Drayce says. "Mikasa, Rico, Ian and I will be in your squad," Drayce says. Eren gaped at him.

"Are you sure you want to do this? The last time I saw you, you had a blade in your chest. You need to rest," he protested.

"My wellbeing does not concern you. As long as I am still capable of doing my job, I can't back down as a soldier," Drayce says. Eren, surprised at this statement, had a newfound respect for his friend. The squad launched into the air, making their way to the rock. When they reached it, Eren transformed. He roared and stood still for a while. He turned around and tried to punch Mikasa.

"What the-" Drayce's statement was cut short as another blow almost hit him. He rushed over to Mikasa and pushed her aside as the fist slammed down on him. He was smashed into the building below him.

"Rico! Find him!" Ian shouted. Hooks fired upwards and latched onto the roof and Drayce shot up, landing in a crouch. Mikasa fired her hooks and landed on the bridge of Eren's nose.

"Eren, what are you doing? You almost killed us, your family. You're supposed to pick up that boulder and plug the hole," she shouted.

Eren's fist tensed. "Ackerman, watch out!" Ian shouted.

Eren punched and missed,hitting himself in the face. He knocked himself out. "What was that?" Ian demanded.

"I knew there was no secret weapon," Rico muttered as she fired a red smoke round.

"He doesn't have control over the titan body. We need to get him to his senses. I'll get Armin," Drayce said. The squad nodded and Drayce took off. _"Armin, where are you?"_ he thought. He scaled the wall and found Armin with his friends.

"Armin, the mission failed! Eren can't control the body. We need you to see if you can get through to him," Drayce shouts. Armin nods and takes off.

"Listen, guys. The titans are being attracted to Eren rather than you guys. George, I know this is a stretch but try to teleport me to the titan forest. I can transform and distract the titans from Eren. If all else fails, I'll move the boulder myself," Drayce explains. "William, you're a good liar. Cover my absence."

"Got it."

"Get ready George." George concentrates hard and a light sputters on, expanding into a hole.

"Hurry, I can't keep it open for long since it's too far away," he grunts. Drayce leaps through and the portal closes. George collapsed in a heap from exhaustion.

Drayce is falling. "Damn it George. Couldn't do it on a tree could you," he grumbled. He took out a knife and cut his hand. A bolt of lightning struck down on him and his titan appeared. He took off in a blur towards the wall, muscles working as hard as possible.

"Sir, abnormal 17 meter class incoming," a soldier yelled.

"He moves fast," Mable says astonished. They see Drayce slow down to a jog and crawl through the hole.

"Another Armoured Titan?! We're doomed!" A soldier swipes down to kill him.

Drayce ducks and roars loudly. The nearby titans turn and stare, not moving. Drayce's fists clenched and his titan lets out a second roar, more of a metallic screech really this time. The titans sprinted at Drayce and he went to work. He punched wildly with his fists clearing a path. The soldiers on the wall gape at him.

"Another titan killing titans?"

"Impossible!"

Annie, Reiner, and Bertholt, from different positions in the city, stared at the metal clad titan.

Flashback Starts

"While you are there, your second objective is to capture the Victory Titan. This is his titan form. We have no records of his human form since he escaped. Find him."

Annie, Bertholt, Reiner, and Marcel study a picture of the titan. Plates of dark steel jutted from various places, offering protection. Though questionably enough, their were claws.

"When engaging in combat, beware of his claws. They are capable of doing massive damage to your armor, including yours Leonhardt. Furthermore, any damage you receive inflicted by this metal will not heal. It is infamous for nullifying titan regeneration. You have been warned."

Flashback Ends

True enough any titan that the shifter encountered stayed down. The titans weren't steaming from the wounds but from death. One tore off an arm and the Victory Titan roared in anger. A skeletal dark steel one shot out of the socket and punched the titan. Flesh layered on with impossible speed. Finished with the brutal murder spree, it turned and to the crowd of titans in the corner. An abnormal leaped up to bite Christa.

"Christa, watch out," Ymir shouted. Christa turned and screamed, seeing the gaping mouth coming for her. Drayce roared and leaped up, metal claws extended. The claws slammed into the abnormal's face and pushed the titan downwards. The two titans fell into the pit of titans below. Drayce stumbled out the pit with a titan clinging on to his nape by its mouth. Drayce roared and ripped the titan off. Too late he realized that he had ripped his nape off as well. The titan swallowed and walked off towards Eren. Drayce's flesh shell fell down steaming. Soldiers gaped at the steaming corpse.

"So much for that," Reiner muttered.

Some distance away, Drayce burst out the titan's stomach. The damn titan bit off an arm in the process of ripping him out. The injured titan grabbed him and attempted to shove Drayce into its mouth. He kicked and struggled but he couldn't get free. The titan had his arms pinned to his side. He only succeeded in getting his left leg ripped off as well. His vision swam from blood loss. He was also too disoriented to heal. His movements became sluggish. His claws! He cut himself from the titan's grip and using the last of his strength, he climbed behind the titan and killed it. He retracted his claws, breathing heavy. He looked back towards the gate. Yellow smoke was coming out of Rico's flare gun. _"Ah! So we've won,"_ he thought. His eyes rolled into his head and he blacked out.

Eren awoke in a dungeon cell. One of his hands was chained to the head rest. He looked to his left, a wall. He looked in the other direction. He saw a nurse replacing Drayce's bandages. He heard that Drayce had went of on his own to protect him but in doing so, he lost his left leg and right arm. He would soon have to leave the military. "You're awake I see," came a voice in front of him.

Two men were looking at him outside his cell. "My name is Erwin Smith, commander of the Survey Corps. I am aware that you mentioned that the key you wear is vital to humanity?" he asked, gesturing to Eren's key in Erwin's hand.

"Yes sir," Eren nodded.

"So brat, what do you want to do?" the other man asked.

"Levi-" "Erwin, be quiet I'm trying to talk to mister titan here," Levi snapped back.

Erwin sighed and motioned for him to carry on. "I-I want to join the Survey Corps," Eren burst out. Levi nodded.

"So did your friend over there. He nearly died from blood loss protecting you," Levi said motioning to Drayce.

"You have some friends that wanted to see you guys," Erwin said. They walked out leaving them alone. Drayce groaned next to Eren.

"They gone yet?" he asked.

"Yeah, they're gone. Look I'm sorry about, you know," Eren said sadly. "If I hadn't lost control, it wouldn't have happened."

"Ah, it's fine. I'm not giving up on humanity yet," Drayce says.

"What do you mean?" Eren asked confused. The door burst open and they're friends ran in. Drayce shot mouthed the words "show you later," to him. Mikasa, Armin, William, Rachel, and Annie walked over to their cells. Their faces were white.

"I actually thought you were dead when I found you," Annie whispered angrily.

"You promised me that you wouldn't do that again." Drayce groaned.

"Not quite Annie. You just said not to surprise you but regardless, I think I'm still in trouble," he said. No one said anything.

"Who knew you cared so much about him," Mikasa teased.

"Oh great, an audience. If you are faint of heart, don't watch. Eren, this is what I meant earlier," Drayce said and began to unwrap his bandages.

"What are you doing?! You're still wounded," Eren yelled.

"Oh boy, this is gonna hurt a bit. Please try not to freak out." Drayce gave a strangled cry as an skeletal arm shot out of his stump. His friends jumped back and yelped in surprise, even Mikasa. Blood sprayed everywhere on the bed and wall. Flesh layered on and in no time, his arm grew back. Armin stepped back while Annie, Eren, and Mikasa looked shocked. Rachel and William shuddered a bit. No matter how many times they saw him do that, they just couldn't get used to it. Just as Drayce's skeletal leg shot out of him, the door was threw open. A woman walked in and when she saw Drayce's leg, her eyes bugged.

"WAIT! WAIT! HOLD IT UNTIL I GET A SKETCH," she screamed. "Moblit, get my notebook and a pencil," she shouted. She danced happily and started probing his skeletal leg. "How do you regenerate it?" "Is it like a titan?" "Are you a titan?" "Does it hurt?" "Are your bones completely made of dark steel?" The woman bombarded him with questions. He gave a glance to his friends that read "Help me". Annie knew she shouldn't smile but she did. Served him right for making her worry. It was the most ridiculous thing that happened today despite the situation.

"Wait Annie, did you just smile?!" Rachel asked shocked. A man ran into the room with a note book and pencil, eyes bugged when seeing Drayce's leg. He sat down and began to sketch.

"Shitty glasses, what are you doing? I can hear you all the way down the-" Levi walked in followed by Erwin. Both stopped at the sight of Drayce's regenerated arm and skeletal leg.

"I guess I have some explaining to do," Drayce said calmly, healing the rest of his leg.

"If anything your gonna clean the sheets," Levi grumbled.

"Attention everyone. We have a second trial." Darius Zackly, the judge quieted the room. "Bring him in."

Drayce was brought into the room. He knelt down and a pole was inserted between his hands and back to prevent escape. "Drayce Whitler was it," Darius asked.

"Yes sir," Drayce answered.

"As you know, the Survey Corps and the Military Police are arguing for your responsibility. We will hear from the Military Police first," he says.

"I am Nile Doc of the Military Police. We believe that this person before us is extremely dangerous. He has escaped the custody of the Military Police at the age of eight as well as commit murder on two men two years later. With his abnormal genes, we should test him further for more information and lock him away," Nile presented and stepped back.

"Well, let's hear from the Survey Corps," Darius says.

"For our testimony, we will be having the defendant speaking as well as a few other members from the 104th squad," Erwin says.

"Very well. Please begin," Darius says.

"Sixteen years ago, I was forcefully taken at birth by the Military Police. For eight years, they have repeatedly experimented, beaten, and tortured me. I soon escaped their custody," Drayce says and pauses. Darius looks in the direction at Nile and frowned. "At the age of ten, I found out that my parents were killed. I wandered the forest near the walls for some time before coming across two men who were human traffickers. They attacked me and all I did was perform an act of self defense," he finished.

"Sir if I may," George said. "The Military Police already inhumanly treated him for half his life. What is to say they won't do it again?" George asked. The crowd murmured in agreement.

"We also believe that if he were handed over to the Survey Corps, his excellent combat skills and regeneration would prove useful in fighting titans, being a virtually unbeatable opponent against the titans," Annie added.

"I see," Darius said. "Then I have made my decision. Drayce Whitler will also be handed over to the Survey Corps," Darius announced.

Nile stormed out the building followed by the rest of the Military Police. The chains were undone and Drayce stood up and rubbed his wrists. Erwin walked towards him with a small smile. "Well then, I officially welcome you to the Survey Corps."


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry for late update. School is killing me. Lol. Enjoy this chapter!**

Annie and Drayce walked side by side through the streets near the river. He had managed to avoid the questions from Hange, the woman who wanted a sketch of his leg, after the trial and slip out the building.

"You made your mind joining the Military Police right Annie?" Drayce asked.

"Yeah. Hope you're not to mad," she says.

"It's your choice. I'm not going to get mad at you," he replied.

"We're not going to be seeing each other for a while because of your upcoming trip beyond the wall," Annie says sadly.

"I still get days off so we can meet," Drayce says, buying two sandwiches. He hands her one and they sit down on the grass near the river for lunch.

"Ok, so I know Rachel, William, Mikasa, Armin, and the officials knows about this. Who else?" he asks.

"Well, no one else. We were sworn to secrecy on this one," Annie replied.

"This is gonna shock the rest of them so much when they find out," Drayce groaned.

Finished with their meal, they stand up.

"Well, thanks for lunch. I'll count this first date as a success for you," Annie said smirking.

"Wait, what?" Drayce asked confused.

"See you around," Annie says.

He watches her run off back to her errands. He shakes his head and jogs towards the front gate.

"Oi brat. You're late," Levi barks.

He sighed. His cousin never changed his habits.

"We're moving to a new location. Get in the cart," Levi orders.

Drayce climbs in and sits next to Eren. Another man climbs in and sits down next to him. A girl and two other men climb in and sit across from them. The girl waves cheerily at Drayce and Eren.

"Hello! I'm Petra. It's nice to see new members in Squad Levi. Sitting next to you is Eld. To my left is Gunther and to my right is Oluo," Petra says.

"My name is Drayce, he's Eren. Nice to meet you guys," Drayce says.

"Likewise," Gunther said. The others nod, acknowledging their two new squad members. "Which one of you is the titan kid," Gunther asked.

Drayce pointed to Eren.

"What about you? Why you here," Oluo asked Drayce.

Drayce grabbed his knife, rolled up his shirt sleeve, and cut a chunk of his flesh off, right to his bone. Petra turned a bit green. The others scrambled around and shouting trying to find a bandage and stop the bleeding.

"Sorry, should've warned you," Drayce shouted.

The others sat back down. They watched in amazement as flesh quickly layered back, completely healing the wound.

"He possesses dark steel bones and an incredibly fast healing factor. Top graduate for our class," Eren explained to the others.

"Also got this with me at all times," Drayce said as he unslung his katana and passed it to Eld. He unsheathed the blade.

"This is dark steel. Completely unbreakable. Prevents titan from healing as well. Where did you get this?" Eld asked.

"The mutant Magneto molded it. A friend of mine came into possession of it and gave it to me," he said shortly.

"Oi, we're here," Levi said. They climbed out of the cart and stretched. A huge stone castle loomed before them. The cobblestone path had weeds growing between the cracks. Levi marched in front and opened the doors. He wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"Sir, what are our orders," Petra asked. Levi went back out to the supply wagon and rummaged through it. The others followed him, confused. When he reappeared, Levi had a rag and broom in hand.

"Get to work," he ordered, thrusting a pail, soap, and a rag into Drayce's hands.

"Yeager, there's still dust on the table, clean it better."

"Yes sir!"

"Whitler, the windows better be clean by the time I get there."

"Done."

Petra rushed into the room where Eren was cleaning. "Sir, I finished cleaning the supply closet," she said breathlessly.

"Let me check," he said. He strolled out down the hallway to see Drayce cleaning his katana. "Whitler, what are you-" Drayce points to the windows before Levi can finish his sentence. The windows were so clean, Levi thought Drayce had removed the glass until he touched it himself. Levi looked surprised. He nodded to Drayce and followed Petra to the supply closet nearby.

"There's still a cobweb in the corner. Take care of it," he ordered. He walked out the door and said behind him, "Whitler, help the rest of my squad downstairs." "Yes sir." When he was gone, Petra poked her head out.

"How do you manage to clean so thoroughly?" she asked amazed.

Drayce shrugged. "I used to clean his home from the underground all the time. He wouldn't remember me. It was a long time ago," he said. He stands up and walks down the stairs.

 _Flashback Begins_

 _"Levi, are the windows clean enough?" Mikasa holds a rag in her hands and looks up to her cousin teaching his older brother._

 _"Come here, I'll teach you. When we're done, we can get some food," Levi says chuckling._

 _"Levi, they're just kids," Farlan says, stifling a smile._

 _"They'll still have to learn. Their time with me is limited," Levi said._

 _"Oh come on big bro! You spend their time teaching them to clean! You should play with them more," Isabel chided. Levi wiped some sweat away. "Your right. Come on, let's grab a snack," Levi said, smiling._

 _Flashback Ends_

 **BANG!**

"Ow," Hange complained as she walked into the room.

"What is it Hange," Levi sighed.

"Sooo, I just finished with Drayce's evaluation and I was wondering if Eren was available for tomorrow titan experiments," she explained rubbing her forehead.

"He's weeding the garden tomorrow," Levi said flatly.

"Perfect! See you tomorrow Eren," she said.

"Wait Hange, can you tell me more about the experiments," Eren tentatively asked.

"Oh no. Don't do this," Oluo whispered. "

You really want to here about it?" she asked, quivering from excitement.

"Last chance," Levi whispered to Eren.

"Yes I do," Eren said firmly.

"Well then, let me organize my notes," Hange said, shuffling some papers on her lap.

From the door, Drayce silently motioned to the rest of the squad. Levi caught his eye and motioned to the rest of the squad. They silently stood up and sneaked past Hange. Drayce quietly closed the door while Hange rambled on about her results.

"We owe you one Whitler," Levi groaned.

"Once she starts, you can't stop her until she finishes," Petra sighed.

"I already sat through her lecture about mutants this morning when she did her evaluation on you. I didn't want to hear another one," Gunther said rubbing his neck.

"I'll weed the garden sir," Drayce offered.

"I'll take you up on that offer. I'm going to bed," Levi said, walking back up the stairs.

"But of cour...you already kn...everything that I tol...you right," Hange asked.

Eren yawned. Hange had nonstop talked about her experiments all night.

"Yeah," Eren replied sleepily.

"Squad Leader Hange! The two test subjects! They were killed," Moblit gasped, panting, and out of breath.

"SAWNEY! BEAN! AHHHHH!" Hange screamed gripping her head, tears pouring down her face.

"Guards have reported seeing the culprit getting away with their 3DMG. Issue an inspection for possible suspects," Erwin ordered.

"I will find who did this to you! I won't let them get away with this," Hange continued wailing.

"All soldiers, dismissed," Erwin ordered.

"Well, you're good brat," Levi said handing Drayce back his gear. "I gotta go to the ceremony tonight. Don't do anything stupid."

"Yes sir," Drayce responded.

"Good evening recruits! My name is Erwin Smith, commander of the Survey Corps and to convince you to join this branch. Now many of you have discovered the power of the titans and how limited your own was. But our recent victory was thanks to two assets. Those are Eren Yeager and the Clawed Titan. Many have witnessed this titan's immense strength. Had it not been for the titan, the amount of titans would've made the success of the mission impossible. We are also one step closer to discovering the true nature of titans as well. If you join the Survey Corps and survive a number of years, your chances of survival will be increased. Those are the facts. If you wish to join, stay behind. If not you are dismissed," Erwin spoke.

The crowd turned and walked away. The recruits few recruits that did stay behind were left standing. Erwin smiled.

"You all have my deepest respect. Give it your hearts," he shouted.

"I can't believe we just did that," Sasha whimpers.

"Holy crap," Connie says resting his head on his hands.

"Recruits, come follow me," a soldier says. "You will receive your uniforms."

Eren walks out the castle and sees his friends. "Hey guys," he shouts. "You've decided to join the Survey Corps?"

"Yeah," Thomas nodded.

"What about Annie and Marco? Did they join the MPs," Eren asked.

"Marco's dead," Jean said coming up behind Eren. Eren whirls around and a look of shock on his face "Jean! You joined too?! What do you mean," Eren asked.

"I don't know. I just found him after the retaking of Trost," Jean said sadly.

"Oh by the way, how's Drayce doing," Krista asked worried. A chorus of agreement came from the recruits.

"Well umm," Eren stuttered trying to think of a way to put it when suddenly, a noise came from behind the recruits. They turn around towards the orgin of the sound and when their eyes landed on the source, they couldn't believe their eyes. Drayce's katana was sticking up from the ground. They looked up and saw Drayce standing on the third story balcony, grinning, alive and well. He jumped down, the floor cracking from the impact.

"To answer your question, I'm doing just fine. How may I help you," he responded bowing slightly with a cocky grin.

"H-how are you...why...What?" Connie stared at Drayce in amazement.

"Oh, ya could've just asked them," Drayce said a bit teasingly, waving to Mikasa, Armin, William, Rachel, George, and Mable.

"YOU GUYS KNEW?!" the rest of the recruits shouted simultaneously.

"Oh wait! Never mind they were sworn to secrecy. Sorry," Drayce replied sheepishly.

Reiner punched his arm and immediately recoiled holding his hand.

"Damn that hurt! What are you made of? Metal?" Reiner joked nursing his hand.

"Actually about that," Mable said.

"His entire skeleton is made of dark steel, as if the cracked ground isn't evidence enough," George said.

"Whitler, your needed for the expedition meeting. Pack up," Levi ordered.

"Yes sir," Drayce replied.

"The expedition isn't for another 2 days though," Mina looked at them.

"I know. I'm going out alone first," he said and with that, he turned and walked away. His friends continued to stare.

"He's going alone?!" Nic exclaimed. "That's freaking suicide!"

"In case you haven't noticed numbskull, he regrew his arm and leg," Ymir replied rolling her eyes.

"Ymir! Be nice," Krista scolded.

"Recruits, you are required to attend an orientation," said Petra. "Come on."

"Man that was weird. Why don't I remember anything from it," Jean groaned.

"Yeah it felt like a dream or something," Connie agreed.

"Whatever, we should sleep. We still need to prepare for our expedition. Besides, I'm pretty sure Drayce needs it more than us," Eren said staring at Drayce who was out cold in his room.

"Damn, he was heavy," Reiner complained. "Why'd I have to carry him?"

"Because your doing your friend a favor," Krista replied.

"Uhh right," Reiner stammered

"I should probably apologize to Drayce tomorrow morning. When I banged his head on the headrest, it left a dent, a freaking dent," Reiner whispered to Eren.

Eren paled. "Are you kidding me?! Captian Levi will kill me," Eren whispered back.

"Whatever. Eren, I'm going to bed. Our orientation was way worse than yours anyways," Reiner said rubbing the back of his neck.

The next morning, Drayce walked to the gate where Levi was holding his horse, his sword strapped to his back and satchel full of provisions for the night. A crowd of people had gathered at the gate as well.

"Remember the plan. Reach the back of the titan forest. If I signal in blue, it's a success, a yellow smoke round is failure which means get your butt over to us," Levi said.

"Got it captain," Drayce says mounting his horse. "See you tomorrow."

Levi nodded and signaled the gates to be opened. The heavy blockade groaned open, exposing the outside world. Drayce's horse whinnied and raced out towards the forest. The gates closed behind him. As Levi turned, he heard Drayce's horse whinnied and slamming on the ground.

"Fuck," Drayce yelled.

More slamming. The people backed away from the gate. Steam started to appear over the walls.

"Got it," Drayce yelled.

Levi sighed. "He's going to get himself killed one of these days," he mutters as he walks away.


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: So a fun fact before you start reading. Drayce's name is actually derived from England. It translates to "a modern variant of a drake." A drake is a type of dragon by the way. Anyways, happy reading and I wouldn't mind a review or two. ;)**

The air rushed through Drayce's shaggy hair. Almost immediately had he encountered a titan. Seriously, it hadn't even been five seconds before it leaped at him. But as always, Drayce managed to kill the thing.

"That was way too close. Well then Hayweld, let's get to that forest," he said mounting his steed.

As Drayce rode away from the walls, he was overwhelmed with the sense of nostalgia. It seemed almost yesterday had he been riding a horse with his friends. He passed a patch of dented ground and he grinned. Oh how he remembered it. Ivan had fell of his horse riding and lost control of gravity. He was slammed into the ground, creating the dent.

"Ow, that hurt," Ivan complained.

"It would have hurt less had you not lost control," Megan said helping him up.

"Come on Ivan, try not to steer your horse into too many rocks, yeah," George said laughing.

"That's not very nice George, considering you fell twice as much during training," Drayce shot back, grinning.

"Ok for the record, my horse did not like me," George protested while the rest of them roared in laughter.

Drayce raced to the left, avoiding a hand. He turned and pushed off his horse, shooting his anchors into the titan flesh. He unsheathed his sword and in two clean cuts, he sliced the nape out. Hayweld galloped back to the steaming titan corpse. Drayce mounted once again and took off. The tree tops appeared over the horizon but unfortunately so did two more titans. One skittered towards him on all fours like some weird spider. The other was fat and had a potbelly. He stood on the back of Hayweld and unsheathed his sword yet again.

"Closer, closer," Drayce muttered.

The abnormal continued to race towards him, its gaping mouth opening and closing over and over.

"Gotcha," Drayce said as he fired his hooks into both its eyes.

The titan roared in pain and skidded to a stop as it attempted to get the anchors out. Drayce flew torwards the injured titan, swinging around its neck and slicing the nape out. He jumped off just as the hand of the second titan slammed down on the spot Drayce was just standing on. Drayce jumped on the titans arm and ran up it. Faster than it could react, he jumped off to the side and fired his hooks, attaching them to the back of its neck. Reeling in, he raised is sword and slashed twice. He looked back at his handiwork, two steaming titan corpse.

"Hey buddy, what do you say we take a lunch break," Drayce called out to his horse.

"What did you guys want," Annie asked annoyed.

"Your mission just got harder. Drayce was sent by the Survey Corps to go to the titan forest two days early," Reiner said. "Levi fires one yellow flare and it's over."

"What about the Victory Titan, Reiner," Bertholt asked. "It's obviously a friend to humanity. It's obvious that it's not going to help us. It'll make things harder."

"Why would that be," Reiner snapped back.

"Think about it, he appeared from the titan forest, where the holder lives. The Survey Corps knows it'll be safe territory," Bertholt reasoned.

Reiner growled in frustration. "Be careful. One slip up and the mission fails. Locate Eren, capture him, and get outta there. I gotta go, I have lookout duty on the wall with Sasha and Connie today," Reiner said.

Annie nods. Reiner and Bertholt walk off. "I have to clean the stables with Mina. See you," Bertholt says and he shuffles away.

Reiner scaled the wall and caught up with a drooling Sasha and a shocked Connie. "Uh, what happened," Reiner asked confused.

"Drayce just killed two titans and now he's sitting down and eating lunch," Connie said.

"He's eating meat! MEAT," Sasha yelled.

Reiner took the scope and sure enough, Drayce was sitting next to two steaming corpses, eating some dried beef. "I mean, he can handle himself. Looks like he took out just about all the titans in the area," Reiner observed.

"That's how many titans killed today? Two," Connie asked.

"No. Three, including the one he killed right when he left," Sasha said.

"You guys actually keep track," Reiner asked incredulously.

"I mean not much happened," Sasha shrugged. Reiner sighed. This would be a long day.

Drayce fastened his satchel on Hayweld and remounted. Hayweld moved forward and began to gallop towards the forest. Within several minutes, they reached the edge. Drayce slid off Hayweld's back.

"Run around the forest, meet me at the back," Drayce instructed Hayweld.

Hayweld whinnied as if to agree and ran along the edge. Drayce watched as his steed disappeared around the corner and shot his hooks into a tree and zoomed off. He pushed off hard from the tree, extending his claws, jumping from tree to tree.

'Judging by the sun, it's almost noon. The watch outs should be taking their lunch break just about now. They won't notice me transform,' Drayce thinks.

He grabs a claw and pulls hard, cutting himself. Lightning comes down from the sky and strikes him. Titan flesh envelopes him. He runs through the forest. A titan leaps out at him, only to receive a face full of Drayce's claws. He grabs the titan's face and slashes his other hand across the nape killing the titan. He pushes forward, killing any titan stupid enough to face him. After his killing spree, he walked to the edge of the forest. Drayce emerges from his flesh shell steaming and jogs to Hayweld.

"Come on, I got a place where we can crash," he says smiling.

They walk a little ways until coming to a creek. They walk up it until arriving at a moss covered ditch. Drayce put his hand on the side and followed it down. He came to a thicket of vines and bushy leaves, perfectly concealing an entrance to a cave. He held the curtain of leaves open as his horse walked inside. Drayce looked around, pulled out his flare gun and shot out a blue flare. Feeling satisfied, he walked back into the cave. Hayweld was waiting for him.

"Made this place a few years ago when we got sick of the walls. Got an outside area where we kept horses," Drayce said, guiding Hayweld to a tunnel that led to another section of the cave.

The ceiling opened up in a small hole just big enough to let in some fresh air and light. He led Hayweld into a stall, and then filled the trough with some horse feed and a bucket with water. He unhooked his own satchel and strode out back to the main cave. For a cave out in the middle of a forest, it was quite clean. No dirt on the floors. Rachel had always made a point to rid the cave of anything dirty. She had wanted something "suitable" if they were going to live there from time to time. Much of the furniture was moved there via portal, courtesy of George. He wouldn't be able to keep it open for long but just long enough so that it got through. They couldn't exactly move beds so they decided on hammocks which wasn't half bad of an idea but it did hurt falling off them onto the stone floor. He slung his sword strap on a stone hook and flopped down on a couch, resting his feet on the table. Man, it was a long day.

"Sir, blue smoke flare spotted at the titan forest about 5 minutes ago. Drayce made it safely," Reiner reported.

Levi looked up from his paperwork. "Is that so? Get ready for our expedition. Tell the other recruits that when they finish packing, they have the rest of the day off," Levi said, submerging himself back into his work.

"Yes sir," Reiner saluted and walked towards the reck room. "Guys, Captain Levi ordered us to start packing for our expedition," Reiner called out.

"Dude, way ahead of you, we finished like yesterday night," George said, taking another drink out of his mug.

"Drayce make it ok," Thomas asked.

"Blue flare was spotted about five minutes ago. Looks like he killed some titans as well by the looks of the steam. When you guys are done, we apparently have the rest of the day to ourselves," Reiner continued.

"All right then," William says getting up. "I'm going to the market, care to join me," he asked staring pointedly at Rachel, George, and Mable.

"Alright I'm going," Mable says.

Rachel nods in agreement.

"I still gotta pack," Jean groaned.

"Same, see you guys later," Nic says getting up.

William, Rachel, Mable, and George get up from their seat and walk out the room. They walk around to the back of the castle.

"We're going to the forest," William says.

"Wait, now," George asked.

"If we know Drayce, the only place in the forest he would be in is the cave," Rachel says.

"True," Mable agreed.

"Alright back up a bit," George says.

They step back a bit and George fixes his eyes on the wall. A spark, a fizzle, and finally a hole. The four leap through and the portal closes.

Drayce hits the ground hard. He groans in pain and sits up, vision blurred.

"How many times have I told you to not put your feet on the damn table," said an angry voice.

'Oh shit. I'm in trouble,' Drayce thinks.

"Hey, are you even listening?!"

Drayce groans and gets up rubbing his back and eyes.

"Could've told me you guys were coming," he said.

Rachel's eyes glow turquoise. The table and couch slide back into place.

"I told you a million times not to put your feet on the table! It took me forever to save up that much," Rachel grumbles.

"Dude literally just lie in the hammock next time," George says, arms crossed.

"Hey take it easy, it been years since I've been here," Drayce whined.

"Well then it should be fitting that you clean this place," Rachel says dusting of the table.

"Geez now I'm starting to think your Levi in disguise," William says laughing lightly.

"So how was it," Mable asks plopping down.

"Well got here, shifted, killed a few titans, fired the flare, and stuff. Not too bad," Drayce says after taking a sip of water from his canteen.

"How many you kill," George asked.

"Thirteen fourteenish. Dunno, wasn't really counting," he said.

"Now I believe you owe me, what was it, your meat ration," William says smirking at George.

The teleporter groans and waves his hand. Rachel smacks the two boys upside on the head.

"I can't believe you guys bet on that," Rachel says fuming.

"All right. Let's go outside and practice a bit. Might've gotten rusty after not using my claws a while," Drayce says, claws shooting out.

"Oh you're so going down," George says cracking his knuckles.

"Oh really? We fought over a hundred times and I won all of them," Drayce says chuckling.

"No, he wasn't talking about a one on one battle. He was talking about a four on one," William says grinning, fireball in hand.

"I'm down. Let's do it," Drayce says.

They rush out of the cave and took their places.

"No injuries and control your attacks," Drayce called out.

"Yeah William, we don't need you to burn the entire forest down," George teased.

"Ready. Go!"

William threw his fireball, George creating a portal, catching Drayce by surprise. He rolled away and leaped through the portal before it closed. He threw his katana at Rachel before charging at William. Rachel's eyes glowed blue, just in time to stop the hilt from hitting her.

"Mable, some help," William yelled as he sent wave after wave of fireballs.

Mable blasted Drayce with a blast of wind. A thick tree branch splintered away but Drayce stayed on trajectory.

"Oh come on, you think that'll stop me," Drayce yelled.

"No but this will," George yelled. A portal appeared right underneath Drayce and he was pulled through hard.

He reappeared through the side of the cave and rolled to Rachel. He quickly recovered and gave her a quick uppercut.

"Out, Rachel," he shouted as he dodged a barrage of flames.

She crossed her arms and huffed off, massaging her chin. He rushed toward William and jumped over a portal. A blast of wind slammed him off to the side. He got up once more.

"Dang, how resilient are you," George asked.

Mable ran towards him, spears of wind in each hand. She threw both of them but Drayce caught both of them and hurled them at William and George. Just as the first spear hit William, the spear dissipated. George quickly threw up a portal in front of him and Drayce, but he was ready. The spear traveled through the portals and Drayce slid underneath and rolled through the portal, sweeping George's feet. The last wind spear came in contact with Mable's chest and dissipated.

"I win. Again," Drayce says. "I really need to work on my reaction time," Rachel grumbles.

"You guys should also work on your coordination with the portals and stuff," Drayce observed, drinking some water.

"Yeah, bad planning on my part," George said rubbing his neck.

"You guys should get back. It's almost dinner for you guys," Drayce said.

"Yeah, hope things will go as planned during the expedition," William groans.

"Let's go," George calls, a flickering portal next to him.

They leap through, leaving Drayce alone once again. He sighs and picks up his fallen katana. He walks back in the cave, sitting down on the couch and resting his feet on the table once more.


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey guys. I'm sorry for such a late update. I had several things continually coming up from school so I didn't have much time to write. Hope you guys will forgive me. But on a happier note, DAMN 327 VIEWS. That is an insane number for a story in such a remote category, because my story is literally the only one in the X-Men/AoT crossover section. Enough of my ranting now and happy reading. :)  
**

Levi pulls down a map. "This the formation. Find your position in your own map," Levi says.

The 104th peered down at their map and located themselves. "Another piece of information. The flares. Should you see a titan, which is highly unlikely, shoot a red flare. Abnormals on the other hand, shoot a black flare. Shoot a green flare and the next group over will relay the message. Yellow means abort mission. Dismissed, " Levi finished.

The troops filed out of the room. Reiner and Bertholt walked to the edge of the forest. "Is anyone following us?" Reiner asked.

Bertholt looked back towards the castle. "No, no one is," he replied. They arrive at a clearing where Annie is waiting for them.

"Do you have any information on the whereabouts of Eren's location," she asked sharply.

"We have information that his location would be in the right flank," Bertholt responded. Annie nodded curtly.

"Annie, what's wrong," Reiner asked.

"I don't know what you mean," she replied and turned to walk away.

"You're seem a bit unfocused," Reiner says narrowing his eyes.

"I'm just tired," she deadpans.

"Don't lie to me Annie," he hisses. "This is about Drayce and all three of us knows it. When he finds out, it won't end well. Are you committed to the mission and going home or do you want to stay here and be killed?" Annie closes her eyes and multiple thoughts run through her head.

"I'll finish the mission," she says quietly.

"Good," Reiner says and walks off with Bertholt trailing behind. As Annie leaves, she stops.

"Forgive me, Drayce," she whispered, tears falling from her face.

"Gates are clear! Opening now," a soldier shouts.

The gates grind open, revealing the outside world. A gust of wind rushes through the ranks of soldiers. Mable grabs some of the wind and starts fiddling. Next to her, William kicks her hard. She huffs and let's it dissipate.

"Let the 57th expedition beyond the walls begin," Erwin shouts.

The horses rear back and take off. "Take formation," Erwin yells above the thundering hooves.

The scouts separate into their own respective groups and fan out. "Well, everything seems to be going well so far," Armin thinks aloud. "Let's just hope things go as planned."

Drayce stands on top of a tree a the edge of the forest. 'The Scouts are on their way, that's good,' he thinks. In the corner of his eyes, he sees something peculiar. A dust cloud in the distance. He narrows his eyes. 'Titans! That's not possible, I thought I killed the ones in this region. They're headed to the right flank. I need to stop them,' he thinks.

He drops down from the tree and his claws slide out, triggering his transformation. A bolt of lightning strikes down on him and his titan form appears around him. He lands with a heavy thud and starts to runs towards the right flank.

"Run faster," said a voice.

"Who are you," Drayce asked puzzled.

"Just run faster, you won't make it to them at this speed," said the mysterious voice.

Drayce pushes harder and passes a scout who looks at him in shock. A black flare was shot out of his gun. The scout launched his anchors at Drayce and shot up towards him. Drayce's claws shot out, cut the wires, and ducked. The scout was sent flying over him, screaming along the way. With his other hand, he caught the man and set him down quickly and continued running towards the group of titans. By now, the right flank realized two things. One, a massive group of titans were coming to slaughter them and two, a second abnormal was charging at them.

"Fire the flares," a man shouted. A mass of red flares were shot up as well as two black flares.

"All units switch to combat mode," a woman shouted. "Get ready!"

Armin looked to his right and gasped. Red flares mixed with black flares. 'Oh no, looks like the right flank is under heavy assault but why? I thought Drayce cleared the area of titans,' he thought.

Moments later, thundering footsteps came from behind him. He turned to look backwards and saw the Female Titan, running behind him. Two scouts were fighting her. They both shot their anchors at her, but she was too fast. She grabbed the first scout's line and slammed him into the ground, instantly killing him. The second scout, shouted, enraged by her actions. He reeled in but the wire was grabbed by her.

"L-L-Let me go," the scout screamed in terror.

The titan smiled and began to whirl the man's wire with him attached around and around. Armin's stomach churned at the sight. The force instantly killed the poor guy. The Female Titan let go and the body flew back behind her. She continued running, catching up to Armin. He looked up in horror to see a giant foot coming down on him. The force knocked him of his horse. She stopped and crouched down. Slowly with her bone fingers, she took of Armin's cloak hood. Armin stared back at her petrified, unable to move. She smiled slightly and got up, running past him.

"She checked my face," Armin croaked weakly. "But what could be the motive? She's not looking for Eren is she," he said, still in shock.

"Oi, Armin," Reiner shouted, coming up behind him with his horse in tow.

"Reiner," Armin exclaimed, taking back his horse.

"Fella just ran straight to me," he said. "What's going on?"

Armin remounted his horse and they both took off. "That's not an abnormal. That's a human in titan form, like Eren," Armin explained.

"Are you sure," Reiner asked with a concerned look on his face.

"I'm positive. She checked my face earlier. I'm sure she's looking for Eren," Armin said definitively.

"This is serious. Armin, send up a flare," Reiner said. A banging sound came behind them.

"It looks like Jean got it," Armin says. Jean sped up and caught up to them.

"Armin, Reiner! What's the situation," Jean asked.

"Armin is sure that the titan up ahead is a titan shifter and she might be looking for Eren," Reiner exclaimed.

"Wait, I got information that Eren was in the left flank," Jean asked puzzled.

"That can't be right. Both me and Armin heard that he was in the right flank," Reiner said.

"Commander Erwin probably gave out false information on purpose to throw any traitors off the scent," Armin theorized.

"Well, where would Eren really be then," Reiner asked, his turn to be confused.

"Well ideally he would be in the back center, the safest part of the formation," Armin guessed.

"Well then, let's catch ourselves a traitor shall we," Reiner said grinning.

"Wait! Before anything, pull up your hoods. She'll be less certain to kill you if she doesn't know your identity," Armin advised.

His two companions nod and they put up their hoods. The trio split up and got into action, Armin going towards her right, Jean to the left, and Reiner in the rear.

'She's slower than I first saw her. If she speeds up, we'll be too late. This is our chance!' Armin thought.

Jean stood up on his horse, sword in hand, and jumped. Armin noticed the Female Titan looking behind her. Jean shot an anchor at her leg but she dodged it. She backhanded the boy, sending Jean flying. Another swipe knocked Armin off his horse, his swords and gear falling away. His body bounced and slid to a stop.

"Armin," Jean shouted, running towards the fallen boy. Armin's eyes fluttered open and immediately widened at the sight of the Female Titan crouching in front of him. Jean shot a hook at her shoulders and she immediately turned and tensed her body, dislodging the anchor.

'Damn it, she's too fast,' Jean thought.

She swiped at him and Jean swung under her arm, shooting a hook at her nape. Using her left hand, she covered her nape, also effectively trapping Jean in place.

'She protected her nape?! I underestimated it!' Jean thought panicked.

"Jean," Reiner yelled, looking at the teen incapacitated to do anything except just hovering there.

The Female Titan raised a fist and swung a Jean. Armin pushed upwards and got onto all fours and started shouting. "Jean, avenge that Suicidal Bastard that died," Armin screamed.

The fist stopped in midair. 'Armin? Wait, she stopped?' Jean thought confused.

"That's the one! She killed him. Avenge the guy who died in the right flank," Armin continued screaming, leaning on a tree for support.

The Female Titan had stopped moving entirely. Jean crashed to the ground, the anchor having come loose. 'Has Armin gone crazy from his concussion?' Jean thought.

"She killed my best friend! I saw his remains under her foot," Armin continued screaming.

Reiner jumped off his horse and shot an anchor at her neck. 'Is he going for it?!' Jean thought amazed. 'No, it working! Armin has her distracted,' Jean thought.

The Female Titan turned and looked at the teen smirking. She grabs Reiner straight out of the air, pinning his arms within her hand. Jean and Armin stared petrified. She pressed her thumb to his head and with a sickening pop, blood squirted out of her hand. Sounds of tearing flesh came from the hand as she squeezed.

"Oh no, Reiner come on," Jean said weakly, stumbling backwards.

Suddenly, blood sprayed and Reiner came spinning out, blades broken, and covered in the Female Titan's blood. Jean gasped as Reiner hit the ground, grabbed Armin, and ran away. The Female Titan watched at her steaming palm for a moment. She looked up and regarded them with cold eyes. Suddenly, she jerked her head towards the direction they had just came from. A look of absolute terror crossed her face and she sprinted away, towards the center rear.

"Looks like we bought enough time," Reiner said.

'Why did she run towards the center rear?' Armin thought.

But more importantly, a question they were all thinking. What scared away a stone cold killer?


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: Well here it is, chapter 12 released one week early. You know, I actually look forward to the days I release my chapters. It's just so fun to me. I've actually incorporated this story as my school project so I have more time to write now! Although I'm a little early with my schedule now. Guess you'll have to wait an extra week for chapter 13. Happy reading.**

 **P.S: I was joking about having you guys wait an extra week. Tell me what you think about Landon. You're reviews really help develop the story. :)**

"All units switch to combat mode," a woman shouted. "Get ready!"

"A tip before these soldiers try to slice you to bits. If you tense your muscles, their anchors will dislodge so you won't have to cut them," the voice said.

"Huh, I never knew that. You'll still have to tell me who you are though," Drayce replied.

"Very well. My name Landon, the titan's previous holder. Uppercut!"

Drayce punched upwards decapitating a titan.

"Now another ability of the Victory Titan is that you are able to communicate with the previous holder even when they are dead. We live on as your titan's secondary consciousness. Left jab and dislodge," Landon said.

Drayce jabbed an oncoming titan and dislodged the hooks of several scouts.

"So you're essentially a second brain that exists in my titan form only?" Drayce asked, bashing two titans together.

"Precisely. Although I can only see what you see and hear what you hear and so on so forth. Regenerate your achilles tendon," Landon continued.

"Did you see anything that I missed while running here?" Drayce asked slicing out another titan's nape while dislodging several hooks as well.

"Yes indeed. I saw a Female Titan leading the group. Shortly after bringing the titan here, she ran off. Most likely another titan shifter," Landon recalled.

Drayce looked at the aftermath of the fight. A few wounded soldiers but nothing more. The bulk of the titans were attracted to him.

"Well lead me towards her," Drayce replied as he ran.

"Left." He swerved to the left, footprints appearing.

"Got it, I can vaguely see her. She's tough though," Drayce said.

"You have your claws and armor. Oh what's this?" Landon asked.

Jean's brown horse ran straight past them, right into Christa.

"It looks like she followed you," Landon noted.

"I saved her back at Trost. Let's get her to Jean," Drayce said, turning back around and continued running.

As they got closer to the Female Titan, she looked up. A look of pure terror crossed her face. She got up and bolted away, towards the center rear. Drayce ran up the ridge and there was Reiner, Jean, and Armin, eyes as wide as possible. Drayce skidded to a stop before looking behind him. Christa appeared behind him, Jean horse in tow. Seeing her friends she looked at the titan in amazement. With one last look, he ran after the Female Titan.

"Christa! Buchwald," Jean shouted.

"That titan, it led you straight to us," Reiner said awestruck.

"Another shifter. He must be," Armin said.

"He helped defend the right flank. No casualties were reported," Christa said with a big smile.

"We need to go, the commander ordered us to continue," Jean shouted, mounting his horse, pointing to a trailing green flare.

"Right, let's go," Reiner agreed.

Armin fired off a green flare and with that, the four off them rode off.

"Green smoke round. Oluo, you fire it," Levi said.

"Roger."

 _'Everything seems fine for now. We already have casualties on the front line though,'_ Eren thought as he watched Oluo fire his gun.

"Reporting! Right flank was under heavy assault reports say an abnormal 17 meter titan fought them off. No casualties. Pass it on," the scout said.

"Sighting of the Clawed Titan. Petra, pass it on," Levi said.

"Yes sir," said Petra as she veered to the left.

 _'The right flank is where Armin is. Reports say no casualties. Let's just hope it keeps that way,'_ Eren thought.

He looked up to the sky, two black rounds streaking upwards.

"Abnormals incoming," the soldier shouted.

"They made it that far in? This is a mess," Levi grumbled.

The Female Titan is battling two scouts, with Drayce close behind.

"She has no time to slow down. All she can do is harden her skin to stop them," Landon noted.

"Yeah if she slows down, we catch her," Drayce agreed.

A banging sound in front of him caught his attention. Three scouts leaped out at him.

"Quick, dislodge," Landon ordered.

The hooks fell loose, and two scouts crashed to the ground. The third sliced his Achilles' tendon. Drayce crashed down hard. The soldier yelled and brought his blades down. Drayce's eyes widened and he rolled away, healing his leg. He got up and sprinted after the shifter. The Female Titan slammed both scouts in to the ground, bodies bloodied. Drayce roared in anger and ran faster.

"We're entering the forest," Landon said.

"I know! We're also right behind my squad," Drayce replied.

"Captain, the abnormals," Eld shouted.

"I'll cut them down to pieces," Gunther yelled, drawing his swords.

"No stand down," Levi ordered.

"Sir, their catching up," Petra yelled.

 _'Just a bit farther,'_ Levi thought.

"Cover your ears," Levi roared as he fired his gun.

A tremendous banging sound came out and reverberated through the entire forest.

"A noise grenade," Drayce thought puzzled.

His eyes widened as he figured out what was going on one second too late.

"Fire," a scout roared.

Hundreds of harpoons shot out from within the trees, piercing the Female Titan, causing her to grind to a halt. Harpoons pierced Drayce as well but there was something more. Grapples wrapped around his limbs where the harpoons couldn't penetrate his armor. The good news was, the Female Titan won't be going anywhere. Bad news was, neither was he.

"I'm stuck. This was a setup the entire time to lure us out," Drayce said angrily.

"Turn your head. I'm going to see if there are any weak points in this trap," Landon said.

Commander Erwin shot his hook and landed on Drayce's shoulder.

"You saved our right recon flank, I'm grateful for that, but we can't have an unidentified shifter running around," Erwin spoke.

 **"Erwin,"** Drayce growled in a low voice.

"HOLY SHIT, YOU CAN TALK," Hange screamed. "Moblit, document this."

Hange's assistant scribbled a side note inside a notebook.

"Sketch him as well," she added.

 **"Oh lord,"** Drayce sighed.

"He has a sense of humor too apparently," Hange noted.

 **"My cause began eight years ago, when her kind turned me into this,"** he growled nodding towards the Female Titan, who had a look of terror etched on her face.

"Top right anchor section looks loose. With a good tug, the rest might come down as well," Landon replied.

 **"One last chance to back off,"** Drayce growled.

"Sorry but we can't," Levi said, landing on his head. "Cut him out."

Drayce yanked at the top right section. Bolts popped looses. The structure collapsed, freeing his right arm. Drayce twisted, forcing Levi and Erwin off him. His claws shot out and he raked it across the steel wires. The cables snapped and fell loosely to the side. He sliced his claws at the cables holding his legs. He shook the cables away and began to casually walk towards the Female Titan. She screamed as he approached. The scouts tensed, watching the situation unfold before them. He yanked at her hair pulling her head back.

 **"I will rip you out and expose you to these people,"** he growled angrily.

The Female Titan's crystal blue eyes stared back at his in horror. Blue looking at gold.

 _'Wait, this seems familiar,'_ they both think and frown.

Then it hits both of them almost exactly at the same time. Eight years ago, in the Marley hallway, six years ago in the alleyway, and three years ago when they fell in love with each other. Drayce stared at Annie and released her. Even her facial features were alike. Drayce's facial feature didn't show any sign that he recognized her, although Annie could see the tremendous amount of pain in his eyes. A rumbling sound came from all around them. A hoard of titans appeared around the two shifters. The titans devoured at their flesh. Upon seeing this, Levi immediately shot a yellow flare into the sky. A huge burst of steam came from the shifters as both Drayce and Annie struggled to remove themselves from their titans without being seen.

"George, open a portal for Drayce. NOW," Rachel hissed.

A sparking appeared in front of Drayce and slowly widened. Without hesitation, he jumped through, mentally sending thanks to George. He swapped his black cloak for his issued green Survey Corps cloak. He grabbed his sword and hastily untied Hayweld, leading him out of the cave, taking off with full speed. He launched off his steed and landed next to Levi.

"Captain, reporting in," he said breathlessly.

"Should've called for you earlier. The Female and Clawed both escaped. Find the Female Titan," Levi ordered.

"What about the Clawed," Drayce asked.

"He's gone. Untraceable, went through some kind of portal. Go," Levi ordered.

Drayce nodded and leaped into the air. He swung past several trees before stopping next to Gunther. A small figure landed next to Gunther.

"Captain, what do we do," Gunther asked urgently.

 _'Captain? I was just talking to him... Oh no,'_ he thought.

He spun around just in time to push Gunther out of the way and parry the swords with his own. The steel blades shattered upon contact with his own. Annie leaped of the tree and sped away.

 _'Should've known it was Annie,'_ he thought bitterly.

"Gunther, are you ok," Drayce asked helping the man up.

"I'm fine. Don't let her escape," he said.

A flash of lightning once more indicated that Annie had transformed. The two took off towards her. Drayce kept his sword out, but he knew he wouldn't use it. He just couldn't. Despite all the people Annie had killed, he still loved her for the person he knew she was. They arrived to see Oluo get knocked out by a swift backhand. Petra and Eld flanked her, with Gunther and Drayce at the rear.

"Eld, get Oluo," Gunther shouted.

Eld nodded and turned back to retrieve his fallen friend. Petra streaked towards Annie's nape and struck just as she crystallized. Petra's blades shattered uselessly against the material. A quick swat sent Petra into a tree, knocking her out cold.

"Gunther, help Petra. I'll take care of her," Drayce said.

"Right. Good luck," Gunther replied.

Drayce swerved in front of Annie and she swatted at him. Drayce dodged just as her hand passed through where he was just moments ago. A flash of lightning appeared behind Drayce and a furious roaring followed. Eren had transformed and Drayce was right in between two very mad titans. Eren tackled Annie and threw a punch before she could recover. Annie moved and Eren's fists slammed down on the ground. Drayce landed on a tree and watched the scene unfold.

 _'I'll rip you out of that damned body. Once my hands heal,'_ Eren thought angrily, watching his steaming hands heal.

Annie narrowed her eyes and kicked Eren off her, sending him flying into the tree Drayce was on. She looked up at his blank emotionless face, which made her heart hurt even more. Eren stood up, getting into a defense stance. Annie threw a punch at Eren's face crystallizing her fist while doing so. The hit connected and knocked Eren's teeth out. Dazed, he stared back, leaving himself completely vulnerable. Annie sent a kick towards Eren's head and his world went black. Annie grabbed Eren and put him in her mouth before taking off.

"Drayce," Mikasa shouted, landing next to him.

"She's got Eren. We need to recover him before she escapes," Drayce said.

"Hey brats, are you going to stand there talking or actually take action," Levi said, hanging above them.

"Prick," Mikasa said under her breath.

"Whitler, focus on disabling her. Me and Ackerman will retrieve Eren," Levi ordered.

"Yes sir," Drayce said, jumping off the tree branch.

He launched of the tree, darting to the next one. Levi and Mikasa took to the skies, trailing not too far behind. Drayce let himself fall and just as he was about to hit the ground, he sliced at Annie's Achilles' tendons. She crashed down, looking at Drayce, pain clear in her eyes. Drayce launched back up and sliced at her eyes, blinding her as well. Annie backed up against a nearby tree, hands covering her nape.

"She can't run nor see now. Strike while you have a chance," Drayce yelled.

"Ackerman, go left," Levi instructed as he went to the right.

They curved around and sliced at Annie's jaw muscle. The flesh disconnected, opening Annie's mouth, and revealing Eren. Drayce grabbed Eren and pushed off towards the trees.

"Retreat for now. We lost men trying to kill the Titan hoard," Levi ordered.

"Yes sir," the siblings replied and they took off.

Levi turned back and what he saw surprised him. The Female Titan was crying. Her eyes were bloodied and tears were streaming down her face.

 _'No matter, she is still the enemy,'_ he told himself and launched into the air to rejoin his squad.


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: Well, another chapter down. I want to shout out Scattershot98. Honestly, the stories written by Scattershot are amazing. Do me a favor and check them out. As always, happy reading! :)**

"Ugh, what happened," Eren groaned, rubbing his head.

"Eren," Mikasa exclaimed, supporting her adoptive brother.

"You shifted, and lost against the Female Titan," William said. "Drayce, Mikasa, and Levi had to chase her and get you back."

"Did you catch her?" Eren asked.

"No, we were forced to retreat," Armin replied.

A silence took over the cart.

"Drayce, are you okay," Eren looked over at his friend.

"I was just thinking, the reports said that the Clawed Titan referred to the Female Titan as 'her kind'," he explained.

"The way he said it, he made it sound like there may be others like her, set out to destroy the walls and everyone in them. The Armored and Colossal Titans are also shifters," Drayce said softly.

"That doesn't make sense, if the Clawed Titan did refer to 'her kind' as titan shifters, why would they destroy their own home," Armin asked.

"Unless, this isn't their home," William said eyes widening.

"Exactly my point," Drayce said.

"So there are more humans living beyond the walls," Eren asked puzzled.

"Armin, is something bothering you," Mikasa asked the pale boy.

"I need to speak with the Commander," Armin said suddenly.

"Well, we're almost to the walls. Wake me up when we get there," Drayce said, stifling a yawn.

He wrapped his cape around himself and closed his eyes.

The carts rolled back into the walled city, bystanders staring at them.

"Drayce, wake up, we're back," Willam said as he shook his best friend awake.

Drayce woke with a start, a frenzied look in his eyes. He squinted and adjusted to the bright sunlight.

"Captain Levi," a man said walking up next to him.

"I'm Petra's father. I just wanted to thank you for taking such good care of my daughter," he said smiling.

"Dad," Petra said, coming up behind Levi.

"Sir, is it fine if I go home for tonight," she asked.

"You did fine in battle. Yes you may. Tell the rest of the squad," Levi said.

Petra's smile grew and she mounted her horse to find her squad.

"Uh, Captain Levi, I need to speak to the Commander. It's regarding the Female Titan," Armin said.

Levi narrowed his eyes and nodded.

'Because if I'm right, god help Drayce,' Armin thinks worriedly.

"We've received a royal decree to hand Eren over to the Military Police," Hange said heavily.

"Hange, correct me if I'm wrong, but there is a procession in Stohess to move Eren right," Erwin calmly asked.

"Correct," the scientist said nudging her glasses.

"Excuse me sir, but are you intending to disobey a direct decree," Jean asked politely.

"Not exactly, we intend to flush out the traitor which leads us to identifying them. Arlert," Erwin spoke, gesturing to Armin.

"I have a theory about who it is," he spoke slowly. He took a deep breath and said, "The Female Titan is Annie Leonhart."

No one spoke a word, not even Drayce.

"There is no way she's the Female Titan," Eren said angrily.

"Back on the expedition, me, Jean, and Reiner were fighting her. She would have killed Jean had I not shouted that she killed you, the suicidal bastard, no offense," Armin said quickly.

"She hesitated," Jean recalled, "Only someone from the 104th would've known the nickname."

"That's right and since Annie was the only one who didn't join the Scouting Legion, it would be easy to get around without raising suspicion," Armin continued grimly.

"But- but, she can't be," Eren said helplessly.

"Drayce, you okay mate," William asked.

"He just found out his girlfriend is a potential traitor. What do you think," Levi snapped.

"That's enough Levi," Erwin ordered.

"So when we capture her, we take her in for questioning," Hange assumed.

"No."

Everyone stares at Drayce.

"When you capture her, I'll deal with her," he says, eyes downcast.

"Brat, who do you thi-" Drayce looked up and glared at Levi, eyes blood red.

His friends immediately recoiled in shock, even Mikasa backed down a bit. They never saw him like that besides the time Jean had insulted his dead friends. Levi, sensing danger, shut up immediately.

"Never mind," he huffed.

Tension was thick in the air, no one spoke a word. Jean, being a bit bold was the first to break the silence.

"So who's going to be the decoy," he asked.

"Funny you should ask," Hange said grinning.

Five minutes later, Jean is standing in Hange's office, a wig on his head.

"God damn it Erwin," Jean said under his breath.

Annie yawned and sat up. She was extremely tired after her failed attempt at kidnapping Eren. She felt a sinking feeling in her gut. She never expected Drayce to be the Victory Titan. He hates her, now that he's seen who she was. Annie was sure of it. There was nothing more to explain to him, he was trained by Marley, he would know their goals. She got dressed and walked down the stairs, lining up next to her fellow officers.

"Listen up, there's a convoy being moved today. You're job is to protect it," the captain said.

One by one, they filed out of the building.

"Annie!"

Annie turned to the source of the sound. Armin was standing there in the alley, dressed in, is that a rain poncho?

"Armin? Why are you dressed like that," Annie asked confused.

"It's to hide my gear," he responded, showing her his 3DMG.

"What's going on," she asked.

"Right now, the MPs are moving Eren, or they think they are at least," he said.

"Armin, are you going to disobey a direct order," Annie questioned.

"Well, only a little until we get Eren out of here. Annie please, we need your help. We need someone that can get us through," Armin pleaded.

"Fine. I'm in," Annie says, putting on her ring.

They walk swiftly into the alley and into the backstreet where Eren and Mikasa are waiting for them.

"Hey Annie," Eren greets her cheerfully.

Mikasa simply nods in her direction. "

Come on, it's not to far away from here," Armin urges as he walks ahead.

'This is strange. Why is this entire place empty? And it's quiet, too quite,' Annie thinks and she narrows her eyes.

She follows the trio and they eventually come to a set of stairs leading down underground. Armin, Eren, and Mikasa stop at the bottom and look up, only to find Annie at the top of the steps.

"Annie come on, what are you waiting for? You're not scared of the dark are you," Eren asked annoyed.

"So what if I am? I wouldn't expect you to understand a feeble maiden like me," she deadpans.

"Is this a joke Annie?! Come down here already," Eren shouts.

"Eren, we'll be found," Mikasa hisses. Armin swallows and begins to talk.

"Back then, why did you have Marco's gear. I did maintenance with him so I know every groove and dent," Armin questioned.

"I found it so I took it," Annie replied.

"So you killed the two titans as well," Armin pressed, flare gun in hand, hidden from Annie's view.

"Maybe," Annie simply said.

"Back on the expedition, why did you spare me," Armin asked with gritted teeth.

"I don't know. Why did I," Annie wondered.

"Enough of this talk. I'm going to slice you to pieces, Female Titan," Mikasa snarled.

For a moment, no one spoke, and then came laughter, one so haunting that it sent chills down Armin's back. Annie paused to take a breath and she looked at them with an insane smile.

"Armin, you were always smart. It looks like your bet paid off, but this is where my gamble begins," Annie says and she raises her finger to her mouth.

As fast as thought, Armin fired the acoustic round and scouts rushed out from their hiding places. They grabbed at Annie's arm, restraining her from movement. They put a cloth in her mouth, forming a gag. She looks down at them, a deadly glint in her eyes. A flick of her finger and a spike pops from the side of her ring. Mikasa whirls around and hurtles down the steps, dragging Eren and Armin with her. A split second later, lightning strikes down along with a deafening explosion. Bloody bodies are hurled everywhere as Annie transforms, flesh and bones appearing out of thin air.

"Hey! Was Plan A a failure," a scout shouts as he and his squad approached them.

"Yeah, were moving on to Pla-" Armin says before getting interrupted by a ceiling section which smashes down on the group of scouts. A giant foot retracts from the tunnel.

"Damn it, we're trapped," Armin groans. "If we try and use 3DMG, we'll be swatted like flies."

Another terrific crash and another hole appears, this time on the opposite end.

"If we stay, we'll be crushed. She's taking a giant risk," Mikasa realized.

"Get over here, I'll shield us," Eren says, wrapping his arms around his friends and bit down on his hand as hard as he could.

Blood flowed from his injured hand but nothing was happening. Eren's screamed was muffled, as he tried to block out his pain.

"Oh no, why now of all times. Just work already," Eren moaned, collapsing down to his knees.

"Remember Hange's advice, keep a clear goal in mind," Armin reminded.

"I'm trying, it isn't working," Eren cried out angrily.

Another hole.

"We're out of time," Mikasa said. She pulled on her hood and took out her blades.

"Mikasa! What are you doing?! She'll kill you," Eren said shocked.

"We have to buy you time Eren," Armin said.

"If both me and Armin go out at the same time, she'll have to choose one of us to go after" she said.

"Take that chance to escape," Armin says grimly.

The two run to the holes and that's when the ceiling collapses on top of Eren. "Eren," Armin yells looking back. He shakes his head and launches out of the hole. They launch out, Mikasa reeling in to attack Annie. She grabs her and her hand explodes as her fingers are cut away. Mikasa falls out and her hood slips off.

"I'm not letting you get him Annie," she says.

Armin turns back around and lands near the caved in section where Eren is trapped by the rubble. Mikasa launches back into the air, assaulting Annie while Armin tries to shift the fallen concrete. Noticing this, Annie make a break for it and runs towards Eren. Mikasa launches back up and in the attempt to stop Annie, she cuts at her arm just as she swings. Annie's hand rakes across the rooftops and pieces of rubble fall, hitting Mikasa. She is knocked from the air and hits the ground rolling before coming to a stop.

"Come on! We have to stop her," yells George to his friends behind him.

Annie was about to swing her fists, her eyes explode into a bloody mess. Another cloaked figure whirls and lands on a nearby roof, his hood slipping off. There was no mistaking the gold eyes. Drayce held his steel blades in his hand, staring at Annie, her eyes steaming.

"Armin," Jean yells.

"Help me. Eren is stuck under the rubble," Armin groaned as he tried to move another piece.

"What! He couldn't transform?" Jean yells. "Hey Eren, didn't I tell you humanity's future was in your hands?"

Annie crashed into a building, a particular large piece of concrete flew right into the church tower.

"Armin," Jean yelled as even more rubble landed on top of Eren.

"Come on, if we're gonna get Eren out, we have to stop her first," Jean says before launching into the air.

"Eren, you once said that to win, a person must lose what makes them human. Annie can certainly do that but the question is, can you?" Armin asked before launching into the air to join the fight.

Drayce leaped of the building and Annie immediately caught him, his blades falling to the ground.

' _What is he doing? Drayce wouldn't allow me to escape would he?_ ' Annie wondered while Drayce is slashing away with a knife.

He cut himself free and fell to the ground. Annie looked down and saw a crude message stabbed in her fingers, "run now".

'He's holding back,' Annie realized with wide eyes.

She ran down the street and turned left. The familiar zipping sound and prick indicated that someone was coming. She looked back and saw Drayce reeling in. As she turned her head back, something caught her eye. A barrel with harpoons.

"Fire," yelled Hange.

Harpoons impaled her legs and torso, causing her to fall due to her momentum. A figure fell and landed next to her. Annie's eyes widened as she saw Drayce with a harpoon in his heart. He was struggling to breath as blood filled his lungs.

'He must've gotten too close when the harpoons fired,' she thought panicked.

A spiked net suddenly fell on top of her, restraining her movements further. Hange landed in front of her, blades in hand.

"Be a good girl now," Hange teased.

Annie looked back and forth from Drayce to Hange.

"I'm going to absorb all the information you have to offer," Hange continued.

Behind her, Drayce was convulsing, blood dripping from his mouth.

"Aren't you listening to me?" Hange demanded.

Following her gaze, Hange's eyes widened as she spots a now twitching Drayce. Hange's face paled immediately.

"Cut the wire," she screamed.

A soldier took out his sword and hacked away at the steel rope, cutting it. Hange pulled the harpoon from his chest and his wound started closing. The remaining blood spewed from his mouth until he was breathing regularly. Taking the opportunity while the soldiers were distracted, Annie swept a leg at the traps, demolishing them. She threw off the net and ran into the center of the city.

"She escaped," Hange yelled.

On the other side of the streets, a bolt of lightning strikes down and a terrifying roar is heard. Annie stops and turns around just in time to receive a punch from Eren, launching her into the air. Annie lands on a building, crushing the people in it. She looks back at Eren and runs away.

"Where is she going," Hange asks.

"She going to the flattest part of the city, where no buildings are there. She's trying a last ditch attempt," Drayce realized.

Eren roared angrily and ran after her. Annie skids to a stop at the city's center.

"She's going for an open field combat," William shouts.

"Eren, it's up to you. Our gear will be useless in such a wide open space," Rachel shouts.

Eren crashes through a building, cutting across to the center of the city. Both shifters take their stances. Eren throws a punch and Annie sweeps his leg, taking it off. Eren try to throw another punch but a swift kick from Annie's titan breaks his arm off. Eren's titan collapsed and bit down on Annie's leg. She repeatedly smashed at Eren's head until his grip slackened. She sprinted towards the wall and leaped up.

"Is she trying to scale the walls," Drayce said.

"At the rate she's going, she'll actually escape," Armin says.

Zipping sound comes from behind them as Mikasa jumps of the building and flies towards Annie.

"What is she doing," Armin asked incredulously.

Mikasa sliced off the fingers of one of Annie's hand. Annie looked in terror as her hand fell uselessly to her side. Mikasa curved back around and sliced Annie's other hand. As she fell, Mikasa landed on the bridge of her nose.

"Annie, fall," Mikasa said softly and pushed off.

Annie hit the ground and rolled before coming to a stop. Levi landed next to Drayce as the scouts form a ring around her.

"She's yours," Levi nodded.

Drayce walked towards Annie and with a stroke of his sword, he tore her nape open. Inside the cocoon of flesh was Annie, tears streaming down her face.

" _Annie_ ," her father said. " _I know it's to late to apologize for what I've done. You can make the entire world your enemy but know that your father will always be by your side. Just promise me the you'll come back_ ," he said.

Drayce pulled her out of her shell and the entire titan starts steaming.

"Annie," Drayce says as she opens her eyes.

"Do it. Kill me," she says bleakly.

Drayce narrows his eyes and sheaths his sword.

"No. Annie you're forgetting one thing. I told you three years ago, I will help you through your pain," he says.

"What the hell is he doing," Levi demanded.

Suddenly a thunderous explosion and a flash of blue lightning struck down. A roar indicated that Eren was back, and he had shifted into his mega form. Eren came charging at them, entire body covered in glowing red streaks and fire. Drayce immediately goes for his sword but Annie grabs his hand.

"Drayce, trust me," Annie pleads as Eren is about to bear down on them.

He turns and nods. Just as Eren's hand was about to slam down, Annie closes her eyes. Within a matter of seconds, Annie encased them in a crystal and soon, both their worlds fades to a peaceful white.


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N: Okay, Chapter 14. From this point, I'm going to start to push back the events on the time line back a bit. The current events that I'm writing don't really line up with the actual events so this is the best way I can think of to prevent confusion. As always, happy reading! :)**

Drayce opened his eyes, blinking. He was on a hill, a cool breeze in the air. There was a tree on the hilltop. The entire place was hazy, as if it was covered in fog. Drayce looked up at the sky. He could see MPs moving whatever he was in underground. Apparently in the real world, the MPs appeared to have taken him into custody.

'Time seems to move faster in the real world while I'm in here,' he noted.

He walked down the hill towards the mysterious fog that encased him.

"I wouldn't go there if I were you," someone said.

Drayce turned around and sees Annie sitting on the grass, leaning against the tree. Drayce walked back up the hill before stopping in front of her.

"I-," Annie began before getting cut off by Drayce.

"Stop Annie. You don't have to explain," he said.

"You don't understand how it feels," Annie whispered. "To kill those people only to have failed."

Drayce laughs humorlessly. "Now that's funny, because I understand perfectly," he said.

"No you don't!" Annie yelled standing up. "You don't know how it feels to kill those innocent people. Five years ago it was the same. Leading the titans into Shiganshina."

Drayce leans on the tree and closes his eyes before speaking.

"When I turned four, do you know what my birthday gift was? It was the gift of murder. The man was dragged in front of me, the soldiers cheered like it was a sport. The man begged for his life. I beheaded him with my claws and I felt nothing when I did it. Not even remorse or pity."

He turns to face Annie.

"So tell me, who's the monster here?"

Annie stayed silent and stared at the wall of fog.

"Why didn't you ever tell me," Drayce asked.

"Because it would have only hurt you if I had," Annie replied.

"Did you want to kill those people?" Drayce asked.

"No, of course not!" Annie cried out.

"Then that proves you're more human than you think. More of a human than I am," Drayce said.

"That's not true! But I still killed them regardless," she said.

"Okay then. Turn back time, spare the people you've killed," Drayce said.

"I can't," Annie said.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't have the power to do it."

"Your right. You can't change what's already happened, but you can change what what could happen. You could continue your mission to eradicate Paradis, but I will have no choice but to stop you. But as you said, you don't want to kill people, so don't be the person from the past that did. It's completely your choice, be the person you that you want to be. For now, I only see you as Annie, the same girl I met at the Training Corps three years ago, " Drayce said.

"A choice," she echoed.

"We both did what we had to do in order to survive. Something I'm sure you understand. So tell me, Annie, are you ready to go back?" he asked.

She swallowed and gave her answer.

"Yes I am."

"How do we get out of here," Drayce asked, walking the perimeter.

"You simply step through the fog. But that's the easy part. This space will do whatever it can to get you to stay," Annie replied.

"I'll go first."

"No, we need to rest a bit. Get tired of the world sometimes," Drayce said.

"Fine," Annie exhaled. "Didn't get much sleep last night anyways."

They lay down on the side of the hill, Annie hugging Drayce. She rests her head on his shoulder, listening to his heartbeat, knowing that he's still with her.

 **2 Days Earlier**  
"Come on. Get out of there," Jean grunted as he repeatedly stabs the crystal with his sword.

"Jean, that's enough," Levi says.

"Did we win?" Eren asked groggily.

"Not exactly," Armin said gesturing to the large blue crystal that encased both Annie and Drayce. Eren stays silent at the sight.

"Hey Eren, do you remember anything from the fight," Rachel asked.

"Not particularly. I just remember blacking out after Annie hit me several times," he responded.

"Not even blue lightning hitting you?" George asked.

"What?" Eren asked confused.

"After you blacked out, Drayce managed to get Annie to come out," Mikasa said.

"While they were talking, a second bolt of lightning struck you. Your titan turned into at least a 17 meter class. Red glowing lines and flames covered your entire body," Hange said excited.

"It was like you shifted again, into a new form," William said.

Suddenly a hand grabbed Hange's shoulder. It was Minister Nick from the group of wall cultists.

"Don't let sunlight reach that titan," he said panting and out of breath.

Hange narrows her eyes, remembering the titan in the wall.

"Move away," Nile called out.

"What are you doing," Hange demands.

"We are taking over the cleanup operation. We have also received custody of those two," he said, pointing to the hunk of crystal.

"You can't do that. One of our men are in there," Levi said glaring at Nile.

"Yes I can. Direct orders from Zackly," Nile said smugly, shoving a piece of paper to Levi.

"Tie up the crystal. We're bringing it underground. You two, work with her to cover the broken section of the wall," Nile ordered.

The MPs took a wire mesh and draped it over the crystal, tying it down to the cart.

"All right boys, let's cover the wall shall we," Hange said sarcastically motioning to the remaining MPs.

 **Present Day**

"I can't believe the MPs took over," William said.

"But I guess that means we don't have to hand Eren over to the Royal Court for now," Jean said.

"I guess so," Armin said looking at the sleeping form of Eren.

"God, so Annie was the Female Titan. Now she and Drayce are both trapped in the crystal. They even say there were Colossal Titan in the walls," Jean said.

"Quite the shocker if you ask me," William replied.

"They must've been trapped in there for at least a century. If they all just decided to take a walk then..." Armin trailed off.

"Ha! That was a joke right Armin," Jean laughed.

Mikasa turned to Jean and shushed him.

"At least they won't be active. Hange said that titans rely on sunlight for energy. The team did a good job covering the hole. They've been at it for the past few days," William said.

Rachel knocked on the door as she walked in.

"Armin and Will, you guys are needed for the conference. You can come if you want Mikasa," she said softly.

"I'll stay," Mikasa simply replied.

"Well since everyone's leaving, I'm going back upstairs. The basement makes me feel depressed," Jean said.

Armin, Rachel, and William walk along back up the stairs.

"This way," Rachel says.

They reach the end of the hallway and Rachel pushes it open.

"Recruits Krest, Arlert, Kent, nice of you to join us. Please sit," Erwin said.

They filled in the three empty seats.

"Erwin, we have some questions regarding your plan," Nile spoke. "Why didn't you alert us about the traitor?"

"It was crucial that we kept this information to a select few that we know are not suspects. The recruits that are here have been vouched for by Eren Yeager and Drayce Whitler," Erwin replied.

"What about the possible accomplices of the Female Titan?" Nile asked.

"All suspected personnel were sent to the space between Wall Sina and Wall Rose. They know nothing of this," Erwin said.

Suddenly, Hange and Moblit burst through the door.

"Commander Erwin!" Hange exclaimed breathlessly.

She throws down a bloodied cloth. Erwin looks at it, his brows furrowing.

"Are you sure," he asked Hange.

"We're positive," Moblit said.

"What is the meaning of this," Nile demands.

Erwin stands up and gets his cloak.

"Nile, we must finish this meeting later. Hange, gather the troops," Erwin said.

"Yes sir," Hange said and she ran back out, Moblit following close behind.

"Recruits, come with me," Erwin ordered.

Armin, George, William, Rachel, and Mable got up and left the room, following Erwin, leaving a confused and enraged Nile behind them.

The moment Drayce and Annie stepped through the fog, the entire world lurched forward. They stumbled until the area stopped moving. They were in a dimly lit room, but it was nice. Much nicer than any place they've seen. It was an office.

"Where are we," Annie murmured.

Someone in the chair cleared their throat. Drayce and Annie moved to the side. They could see the Military Police patch on the side of the man's uniform.

"Commander Landon, we got him," a soldier said.

Landon stood up.

"Bring him into my office," he said.

"Yes sir!"

A man was hauled in. Landon turned to face the man that was dragged in.

"The infamous Wolverine," Landon said.

"So that's Wolverine," Drayce said.

"Who are you?" he grunts.

"I'm sorry where are my manners? I'm Commander Landon Price from the Military Police Brigade," Landon replied.

A flash of white and all of a sudden, they're brought to a white pristine room. Bodies littered the floor. Only three men were alive. One of them seemed to be a scientist, the other the test subject, and Landon.

"What is this," Annie asked.

The realization dawns on Drayce.

"This was the project," he says.

Annie looks at him confused.

"It was called Project X-2. They're trying to replicate Wolverine's DNA pattern in men," he said as his own claws slid out. "I was the result."

He raises his hand and looks at the claws. He wills his claws to retract and they slide back into his hand. Another flash of white and suddenly they're outside of a house.

"Why are we here?" Annie suddenly asked in a small voice.

"Where are we?" Drayce asked.

"My childhood home," she replied.

A carriage pulls up beside the house. Landon steps out, looking much older. He knocks on the door. A man, which Drayce assumes is Annie's dad answers. The two men converse for a while before Annie's dad looks back in the house and shouts. Annie, no more than six, steps out, suitcase in hand.

"I remember that day," she whispered.

She watches herself get into the carriage.

"That was the day I joined the warrior program," she said.

Another flash of white and they're standing on a snowy mountain. The wind is howling fiercely. A cloaked man stumbles through the snow. Men are chasing after him. Gunfire peppered the ground near him. A bullet hits him. He falls to the ground and his hood slips off. It's Landon. The soldiers surround him. Gritting his teeth, Landon roars and a bolt of lightning strikes down on him and a flash of white takes them to an enclosed area. Drayce sees himself staring at the man on the platform, chained. Annie takes his hand as he watches his younger self turn into a titan and devours Landon. A final flash of white before both of them are expelled from the crystal. Shards of the blue crystal lay around them. Drayce looks at Annie.

"What just happened," he croaks before passing out. Annie groans before following suit.

Cold water splashes to the floor.

"Again," a voice ordered.

More water splashes onto Drayce's face. He blinks the water out of his eyes. His hands, why can't he move them? He turns and sees his hands chained to the wall on either side of him. He shakes his wet hair away from his eyes. In front of him are two Military Police officers, both with nasty grins plastered on their faces. Another ranking captain stands near the back of the room. Next to him his Annie, tied to a chair, bound and gagged.

"So you're finally awake," the captain said. "As you can see, we have the Female Titan here although she was disinclined to give us any information. So we've had to use some...incentives."

A crackling of fire catches Drayce's attention. One of the soldiers was in the corner, stoking the fire.

"Let's start small shall we?" the captain asks.

He signals to the other soldier. The man takes out a decent sized knife and begins moving towards him.

"So I will ask you once again, who are the Armored and Colossal Titan?" the captain asks.

Annie stays silent.

"Do it."

The soldier stabs the knife deep into Drayce's shoulder, twisting it before pulling it out. Drayce grits his teeth and grunts as the blood runs down his chest. The soldier wipes the blood from the knife and hand it to the soldier by the fire and the other man sticks it into the hot coals. In exchange, he takes the poker instead.

"I should probably remind you, mutant. Heal any wound, and we inflict it back to your girlfriend here," the soldier says, grinning nastily.

He jams the red hot iron into Drayce's wound, sounds of sizzling came as his flesh was burnt. Drayce groans in pain as the man removes the iron.

"You're quite resilient, I'll give you that," the captain says, pulling the hot knife out of the flames. The air hissed as it came into contact with the blade. "But how much more can you take?"

He casually walks up to Drayce and stabs the blade into his chest. The captain gives Drayce a maniacal grin, but to his surprise, Drayce began to laugh. He gives the captain an equally insane look, a red glint in his eyes.

"Well then, what are you waiting for? Bring it, bastard."


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hey guys! Back with yet another chapter. I hope things won't be too confusing. I'm sorry if it is. Anyways, happy reading! :)**

"Your boyfriend's resilience is truly commendable," the captain said circling Annie like a shark. "I'm surprised he's still conscious after the amputation."

'Fucking hell, my arm is killing me. I can't heal or they'll hurt Annie and I'll never forgive myself if that happens because of me,' Drayce thinks, blood dripping from where his arm once was.

"Well I suppose that's enough for now. That crazy scientist from the Survey Corps is coming soon. Put them back in their cells," the captain commanded.

The soldiers uncuffed Drayce and Annie and lead them to their cells. They pushed them in and slammed the cell door shut. Drayce immediately collapsed to the floor after they left. Annie rushed over to support him.

"Why didn't you heal?" she questioned angrily as she helped him get on the bed. "I'm a titan shifter too."

"If you got hurt because of my actions, I would never forgive myself," Drayce said.

"So does that mean I'm still the feeble maiden?" Annie teased.

Drayce chuckled weakly.

"Come on, we need to bandage your wounds," Annie pressed.

"No. They're just going to take it off when they interrogate us again. We need to send for help," Drayce groaned.

"How? We have no pen or paper and absolutely no means of getting it out of the building," Annie said.

"We have blood, a blanket, and my claws. I'm surprised you didn't figure it out," Drayce smirked.

Annie huffed in annoyance as she stretched the cloth tight. A single slash from one of Drayce's claw sliced a sizable writing piece. Drayce dipped a claw in the forming pool of blood and began writing out a message. When he was done, he hobbled to the other end of the room.

"The right corner," Annie said.

Drayce nods and jams his claw into the top right corner. He rolls the cloth up and wedges it into the hole.

"Hey Annie, I can hear voices above us," Drayce says quietly.

Annie crossed the room and they listened.

"I'm sorry, you're not liable to enter the chamber. We're already conducting tests," a soldier says.

"But you aren't allowed to-"

"Moblit, it's fine. They have custody of them by Darius Zackly. We should go," Hange said.

As the scientist moved towards the door, she noticed something sticking out the corner of the room. Casually, she took out a pen and started fidgeting. When she reached the door, she dropped her pen to the ground.

"Whoopsies! I dropped my pen," Hange said, quickly bending down to grab her writing utensil and the thing sticking out of the ground.

As she stood up, Hange could've sworn she saw a gold eye, looking back at her.

"Moblit, we need to report back to the commander. We need to hurry back," Hange said.

"Yes squad leader," Moblit replied as he followed her out.

Outside, Hange unrolled the strange cloth. A message is written on the inside with blood. Her face paled as she read the message.

 _Hange,_

 _Help. Break out._

 _Drayce_

"Squad leader, are you all right?" Moblit asked concerned.

In response, Hange handed Moblit the message and after reading it, both of them immediately started sprinting towards HQ.

"Now let's continue shall we?" the a soldier said briskly. "What were your plans for humanity when you first arrived? Better yet, where were you from?"

Still silence.

'The choice is in your hands Annie. Marley or Paradise,' Drayce thought as another soldier repeatedly whipped at his torso with the braided leather.

Suddenly, a tremendous blast was heard, dust falling from the ceiling. Moments later, the captain staggered into the room, the metal door slamming shut behind him. Half his face was bloody and burned from the explosion.

"You bastards! Wh-what did you two do?" the man screeched, a wild look in his eyes. "I'll kill you!"

He turned and grabbed a searing hot knife and stabbed at the nearest person, Annie. She screamed as the scorching hot blade stabbed into her.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Drayce roared.

He ripped his hand from the cuff with so much force, the skin was sheared off. Drayce rushed him before the injured captain could even react. The power behind Drayce's attack was so overwhelming that his hand went through the man's stomach, crushing his spine. Drayce's eyes were glowing red.

With a savage roar, he repeatedly slammed his remaining fist into the man's head, turning it into a bloody pulp. He began losing himself in his rage. Soon, his arm grew heavier and heavier. The pain from his wounds grew to a dull throb.

Everything began to fade into the background. The glow in his eyes faded. He grew oblivious to the blast that forced the door open. Oblivious to the shouting voices and the pounding boots. He grew oblivious to the people around him shouting his name, getting him onto a stretcher. His head lolled around, eyes dull. His breathing was labored.

"Get him to the medics," Hange shouted over the fray.

William took out a knife and started cutting at Annie's bonds.

"Get up," he said urgently.

Annie stood up and immediately every soldier around her drew their swords. She wrenched the blade from her shoulder and dropped it to the ground. Her breathing was heavy. She dropped to her knees.

"Tie her hands and get her a medic," Hange ordered.

Eld and Gunther stepped forward to bind her hands. She offered no resistance. They lowered a stretcher and carried her out.

"Four eyes, let's go," Levi said.

"Bring those two. We need to ask them what they learned if they did manage to get answers," Hange said.

Levi grunted and carried the two hog-tied soldiers out of the chamber. Hange crossed the room and grabbed Drayce's katana. She stared at the corpse of the dead captain grimly, making a mental note never to anger the kid. She stepped out the room but something caught her eye. A section of the wall next to the metal door was blasted off.

"Hello. What are you?" Hange asked.

She tried moving the stone bricks but it proved in effective. She took out Drayce's sword and hacked away at the stone. The wall gave way to reveal what was behind it. It was a room, walled off for almost a decade, judging from the smell and the layer of dust. Across the room was a filing cabinet. She dusted of the front and the label revealed itself.

"Project X-2?" Hange wondered.

She tried the handle but it was locked. She jammed Drayce's sword into the lock and it gave way. With a good yank, the entire cabinet fell out. When the dust cleared, she peered inside. The contents were ten files, half of them with a old faded ink mark proclaiming the word "deceased".

"Hange, where the fuck are you?" Levi bellowed. "Get out here."

"Coming," Hange yelled, grabbing all ten files trying to keep the contents from spilling out.

She climbed back up the stairs and climbed onto her horse and rode of after the rest of the Corps.

"Numerous wounds to the torso. Burns within the knife wounds. He seemed to have been stabbed with a heated knife. Left arm was amputated with what I would guess to be a saw. Passed out due to extortion. He'll need to rest and gather his strength before he can heal," Hange said after coming out of the infirmary.

"What about her?" Levi grunted.

"Just several bruises and the knife wound on her shoulder. It was steaming when I was cleaning it. My estimates say she'll heal in an hour or so," Hange replied.

"Thanks four eyes," Levi replied.

"I'll be in my office if you need me," Hange said tiredly.

"Fine," Levi grumbled.

Hange walked down the hall and pushed open her door. A single candle lit up her room. She moved the messy papers from her desk to the side, she would attend to those later. Hange dropped the files onto her desk, taking the first one from the pile. The front had a faded, red "deceased" stamp on it. She opened it up and peered at the files. What she saw in there made her heart thump faster.

'Ivan Stockholmer. Immediate Relatives: Megan Stockholmer. Status: Deceased. Age: 9. Controls gravity?' she wondered.

She closed the file, swapping it with another one, and opening it.

'Kristie Fischer. Immediate Relatives: None. Status: Deceased. Age: 9. Superhuman marksmanship.'

She shoves the file out of her way, her excitement growing. Hange grabs another file.

'Tom Havarski. Immediate Relatives: None. Status: Deceased. Age: 9. Manipulator of energy.

She quickly closes the file. Could all these people be mutants as well?

'Megan Stockholmer. Immediate Relatives: Ivan Stockholmer. Status: Deceased. Age: 8. An illusionist.'

Hange rearranged the files to be more neat. This was valuable information which the Corps could use. Perhaps even track the other five mutants. She opened the last "deceased" file.

'Boone Halibar. Immediate Relatives: None. Status: Deceased. Age: 9. Can turn various body parts into stone.'

"Alright, who are you guys?" Hange asked as she cracked her knuckles, looking at the last five files.

She grabbed the first one and opened it and what she saw completely shocked her.

'William Kent. Immediate Relatives: None. Status: Alive. Age: 9. Controls fire.'

She stared at it in shock. She quickly closed it and grabbed another file.

'Mable Green. Immediate Relatives: None. Status: Alive. Age: 9. Controls wind.'

Another file.

'George Gaylent. Immediate Relatives: None. Status: Alive. Age: 9. Can create portals. Rachel Krest. Immediate Relatives: None. Status: Alive. Age: 9. Telekinesis.'

Hange shakily closed the files. Only one remained. She had so many questions. She reached for the last one. She opened it up.

'Drayce-wait? Ackerman? Immediate Relatives: Mikasa Ackerman, Levi Ackerman. Status: Alive. Age: 9. Incredible healing factor. Dark steel claws?'

Hange dropped the file and stood up. It all made sense now. She gathered up the files and rushed to Commander Erwin's office. She slammed into Levi as she rounded the corner.

"What the-?"

"Gather the recruits, except for Kent, Green, Krest, and Gaylent. We need to have an emergency meeting. Erwin's office," Hange said as she ran.

Levi shook his head and went to wake the sleeping recruits.

"Hange, I hope you have a good reason for waking all of us up at midnight," Jean said yawning.

"I'm gonna have to agree on horse face on this one," Eren said rubbing his eyes.

"HEY!" Jean shouted.

"Jean, you'll wake up the entire headquarters," Petra reminded him.

"Hange, why are the rest of the new recruits not here?" Oluo asked confused.

"I'm getting to that part," Hange said.

She threw down the files to the middle of the table. No one bothered to look at them.

"I found these when we were breaking out Drayce and Annie. These files were in a walled of section of the base they were held at. Whoever put these files there didn't want them to be found. The cabinet they were in was labeled Project X-2," Hange explained.

Erwin took the top file into his hand and opened it. Erwin's eyes opened in shock. Curiously, Levi plucked the file from the Commander's hand and splayed it on the table for all to see.

"Recruit Rachel Krest. A mutant with the powers of telekinesis," Hange summarized.

Almost everyone in the room scrambled to grab a file but Hange snapped them up. She took back the files and placed down George's next to Rachel's.

"Recruit George Gaylent. Able to create portals."

She placed Mable's file next to George's.

"Recruit Mable Green. Manipulator of winds."

She shuffled with the next one before laying it down.

"Recruit William Kent. Possesses pyrokinesis."

Finally Hange placed down the last file.

"Recruit Drayce Ackerman. Dark steel claws as well as healing factor. The holder of the Clawed Titan."

After Drayce's file was placed down, no one in the room moved.

"So he's been keeping secrets," Levi said.

"So he's related to Mikasa?" Armin asked.

"Older brother to be precise. Levi is his older cousin," Hange said.

"So you're trying to tell us that these brats, one of them being my cousin, are all mutants?" Levi asked.

"Mikasa, do you remember anything about Drayce?" Erwin asked kindly.

"No, not really. I only remember him buying me medicine when my dad couldn't afford it," Mikasa answered softly.

"What about you Levi," Erwin asked.

Levi just shook his head in response.

"So after all that time, he was the one saving our asses during the expedition?" Jean asked.

"I guess so. They're still dedicated to saving humanity even after being imprisoned for half their lives by us," Armin said.

"We need a way to confront them, to get them to use their abilities to help us. As for Recruit, well, Ackerman now, we could use his immense strength as well as the Female Titan's to help reclaim our land," Erwin mused.

"It shouldn't be hard. They're already friends with the recruits," Gunther pondered.

"I'm thinking it might be best for Levi and Mikasa to talk to Drayce when he wakes up. You're his family," Armin suggested.

"Well you can do that when he's better." Hange said. "When we got there, he was on the verge of passing out."

"Hange, thank you for bringing this to our attention. For now, let's go back to bed. We'll continue working on the Female Titan tomorrow and see if Drayce condition has gotten any better," Erwin said.

With the meeting dismissed, the Survey Corps once again went back to bed.

 ** _Please Review_**


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the delay on this chapter. I had to get some last minute edits in because I had a bit more homework then expected. At this point, this is where Season 2 began and holy shit, things are about to go down in these next few chapters! And as always, happy reading!**

The following day, Hange and Levi went down to the basement.

"Hange, why are we going down here? It's too early," Levi grumbled.

"It's never to early for information," Hange chirped.

"Yeah, just like you waking all of us up at midnight yesterday to tell us we have mutants in our Corps," Levi retorted.

"At least the commander appreciated it," Hange said as she opened the door.

"Oi, wake up," Levi said.

Annie sat up and turned to face them.

"What do you want," she asked tiredly.

"Isn't it goddamn obvious? We want information. Why are you here? Who are the Armored and Colossal Titan?" Levi asked.

"Fine."

"What?" Hange asked surprised, not sure if she heard correctly.

"I'll tell you. I'm tired of the bullshit my superiors been giving me," Annie said.

"But why now? After everything that you've done," Levi demanded.

"When I was in the crystal, Drayce told me that a person shouldn't have to be who they are forced to be and that they are the only one who can decide. So I don't want to be the person responsible for the deaths of the people on this island," she said.

"Good answer. Can't really argue against that," Hange brightly said.

"How do we know we can trust you," Levi asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Does it look like I have any other choice?" Annie asked annoyed.

"Fine. Tell us what you know," Levi said, Hange at the ready with a pen and pad.

"Hang on, I have some conditions," Annie said.

"Like what," Levi snorted.

"I want to be pardoned for my past crimes. When you catch the fuckers, you can take it out on them. I also want an upgrade from the basement," Annie said.

"Your crimes can be pardoned. As for the basement, we can't do that," Levi said. "Anything else?"

"That I be able to visit Drayce in the infirmary," she said.

"That's it?" Hange asked as she scribbled down her terms.

Annie nodded in confirmation.

"Alright start talking then. Who are your superiors and what is your objective on this island?" Levi asked.

"My superiors is the Marleyan government. They are the ones overseeing the entire operation. We were sent here to retrieve what we call the Coordinate. The power to control titans. The royal bloodline is the one to have possession of it. We were also sent to retrieve the Founding Titan and the Victory Titan," Annie explains.

"What is the significance to the Victory and Founding Titan?" Hange asks.

"The Founding Titan is one of the most powerful titan shifter out there. Titans will obey the slightest order, memories can be modified, and the holder gains memories of all other previous holders. At full potential, it has the power to eradicate all the titans," Annie answers.

"That kind power in the wrong hands would be disastrous. Anyone would kill to have control over such power. It's virtually unstoppable," Hange said in awe.

"Well not exactly," Annie says. Hange raises an eyebrow in question.

"That's why Marley is also desperate to get hold of the Victory Titan. The Victory Titan is one of the two titans to undergo what we call a supershift,. This ability grants the holder a increase in strength, speed, and power. You've seen it happen to Eren during Stohess. It also has as well as immunity to the Coordinate." Annie describes.

"What about the Victory Titan?" Hange questions, furiously scribbling to keep up.

"It's hard to tell. The current Victory Titan is possibly the only titan that can go toe to toe against the Founding Titan and win, having his claws and armor. I can only imagine how much more powerful he gets when he supershifts," Annie says.

"Do you know the identity of the Victory Titan?" Levi asks.

Annie just nods.

"Well, it may have shocked you as much as it did us when we found out," Hange said.

"How did you find out?" Annie asks slightly surprised.

"Back at the MP bases where you were held, a walled of section collapsed and inside it were files containing the subjects of Project X-2. It was obvious once we found out what Drayce's true mutation was," Hange explained.

"So now the million dollar question. Who are the Armored and Colossal Titan?" Levi asked.

"The identities of Armored and Colossal Titan are-" Annie says before getting interrupted by the door to the basement slamming open.

"Keji, I thought I told you not to interrupt us," Hange clipped.

"I know, Squad Leader but this is important. The man, Minister Nick, says he has information to reveal," Keji said, gasping for air. "He said it's about the royal family."

Hange stood up and looked at Annie.

"Thank you for your cooperation. You made this easier on yourself and us. We'll come back for the rest of the information," Hange said sincerely. Levi simply grunted.

"Hange, hand me the keys," Levi said. "I'm taking her to the infirmary."

Hange tossed Levi the keys before walking out the door with Keji close behind. Levi unlocked Annie's cell door with a metallic click and held up a pair of handcuffs.

"Really?" Annie asked in a monotonous voice.

"Some soldiers still don't trust you as much as others. This is to give them a relief," Levi explained as he put them around her wrists.

Levi stood up and led Annie out the basement, two soldiers trailing behind them. They walked back up the stairs and when the sunlight hit Annie's face, she immediately looked down to block it from her eyes. The group walked in complete silence, no one spoke a word. Several of the remaining troops glared at her, others just had a blank expression.

They turned the hall and walked up another flight of stairs to the second floor. They walked to the end of the hall and Levi pushed open the door. Levi takes of her restraints and let her in.

"I'll be outside," he huffs.

He closes the door, leaving Annie alone with Drayce. She walks over to his bed and pulls up a chair. Suddenly, Drayce's head turned and he opened an eye.

"Oh, hi Annie," Drayce says.

"What are you doing," Annie asked puzzled.

"I thought you were Hange," Drayce replied. "What about you? Didn't expect them to let you visit me."

"I took your advice. They came in this morning to question me. I told them just about everything," Annie said.

"And see where that got you?" Drayce asked. "Oh, and can you help me unwrap my bandage?"

He held up his bandaged hand from when he ripped his hand from the hand cuffs. Annie grabbed the end and began to unravel it. It was not a pretty sight. Once free from the cloth, flesh slowly layered itself over the damaged parts of Drayce's hand. He tentatively flexed his hand.

"That's better."

"What does it feel like," Annie blurted.

"What? My regeneration?" Drayce asked.

"Yeah," Annie says.

"You know how it's winter and then you walk out and all of a sudden you get hit with the cold? It something like that, except it's on the injured part," Drayce said.

Annie nods and the room falls silent.

"Annie, tell me, who are the Colossal and Armored Titan?" Drayce asked.

"Bertholt and Reiner. It won't sit well with the rest of the recruits," Annie says softly.

All Drayce does is stare at the wall ahead of him.

"And to think they were our friends," he said softly but the venom was clearly in his voice.

A knocking sound came from the door as it slowly creaked open. William poked his head in.

"Oh hey Drayce! Nice to know you're awake. Petra told me to bring some food into your room," he said holding out a plate with a steaming potato, a loaf of bread and some stew.

"Yeah sure. Thanks man. Uh Annie, can you get that for me? Where'd Levi go?" Drayce asked.

"He went downstairs to yell at Oluo for making a mess in the kitchen," William replied.

Annie got out of her chair and took the tray from William. He nodded at her with a small smile on his face and backed out the room.

"Well, nice to know someone else doesn't hate me," Annie said, setting the tray down on the bedside table.

"They'll forgive you eventually. Eat," Drayce said, grabbing the potato, pointing to the bread and stew.

"Thanks," Annie said as she brushed her hair out of the way. She picked up the spoon and began to eat.

"How many years ago did you first become a shifter?" Drayce asked as he broke of a piece and popped it in his mouth.

"Seven years ago," she replied. "You were eight years ago right?"

Drayce nods. "It's kinda hard to imagine that we only have that much time left."

Annie nods as she scoops up the remaining stew with the bread.

A yelling came from downstairs all of a sudden.

Drayce frowns and turns to look at the door. "What was that?"

"I don't know. I'll check," Annie says, getting up and exiting the room. Moments later she comes back inside, her face ashen.

"What?" Drayce demands.

"One of the soldiers just burst through the front door and shouted that Wall Rose has fallen and there was a horde of titans coming from the south," she said.

"Reiner and Bertholt?" Drayce asked.

"No it couldn't be. We would've been alerted if they shifted, unless…" Annie trails off.

"The Beast Titan," they both say simultaneously.

Drayce quickly get out of his bed but winces at the sudden movement.

"You can't go! You don't even have enough energy to regenerate your arm," Annie says supporting him.

Drayce growls in frustration and stumbles out the door, Annie tailing him.

"Levi, we can't have him go fighting yet, he's still injured," Hange protests as they walk down the hall.

"He's a goddamn mutant, he can heal," Levi retorts. "Whitler, get dressed. We need to get to Utargard Castle now."

"No Levi, he is not going anywhere," Hange argued back angrily.

"Hange, it's fine. I'll stay behind in the carts until I have enough strength to fight," Drayce comprised.

After several moments of arguing, they finally agree. Drayce would stay and rest in the carts but only fight if absolutely needed.

"Captain, what's the situation?" Drayce asked, putting on his cloak with his one arm.

"The old preacher told Hange about the walls and the king. The man's a fraud. The real royal bloodline continues with your friend Krista. We need to make sure to get that we get them back alive," Levi explains.

"Levi, let's move. Get the horses," Erwin orders.

"You," Levi points at Annie. "You're to stay with us. Shift only if we tell you to."

Annie nods and gets on a horse.

"Eren, same with you. Stay close. We still don't know who the traitors are so you need to stay with us," Levi orders.

"Yes sir," Eren replies, getting on his own horse.

"The gates are clear," soldier yelled. "Open them up!"

The gate slowly lifts open and as soon as they are, the entire Survey Corps takes off towards Utagard Castle.

'Guys, hang tight,' Eren thinks. 'I can only imagine what's happened.'

12 Hours Ago

"Do you really think that two of the recruits in there are Annie Leonhart's accomplices?" Nanaba asked.

"I don't know, but it isn't something that we can ignore," Mike said shaking his head.

"You know, this place isn't to far from my home," Connie says, head on his hand.

"Same here," Sasha agreed.

"Why are we out here, all the way to the south part of Rose? Dunno why we can't go back, I mean, it's just so boring," Connie rants.

She looks to the side at Reiner and Bertholt playing chess and the other recruits laughing and talking.

"This worries me," Reiner says, looking out the window.

"What do you mean?" Connie asks.

"Doesn't it seem weird that all of us are out here dressed like civilians while our superiors are the only ones fully geared?" Reiner asks.

"It could be bears," Bertholt says casually, moving his rook towards Reiner's knight.

"Hmm, bears," Sasha says.

"But still, wouldn't they have brought guns instead? It feels like they're expecting titans or something," Reiner says, moving his knight away from Bertholt's rook.

"Eh, whatever," Sasha said, laying her head on the table.

A few moments after, Sasha's head shot straight back up.

"I hear the ground rumbling! It's like footsteps!" she exclaimed.

"Sasha, what are you talking about?" Reiner asked. "Are you saying that titans are here? If so, the that means Wall Rose has been broken."

Mike sniffs and looks towards the south frowning and sniffs again.

"Mike, what's wrong?" Nanaba asks.

"Thomas," Mike says suddenly. "Get the fastest horse possible and get ready to deliver a message. Tell the Survey Corps to rendezvous at Utgard Castle. Wall Rose has been breached, and a titan horde is coming from the south."


	18. Chapter 17

**A/N: All, right! Update day and now we're getting to the rest of the 104th now. Just a disclaimer f** ** **or you anime watchers** , this story follows the manga plot. After season 2 ends in my story, the events will deviate but some of them will have still happened in the manga. So when season 2 of my story ends, you can choose to go ahead and get some spoilers or you can choose to hold of until season 3 but anyways, happy reading!**

Nanaba swings down from the watch tower and lands on the window hard. She pounds on the glass. Connie reaches over quickly opens it up.

"Is everyone here?" she asks urgently.

"Nanaba?" Krista says worriedly.

"We have multiple titans approaching us from the south, approximately 500 meters away. There's no time to change into your combat uniforms. Get on your horses immediately and sweep the area to evacuate all nearby villages and homes. Got it?" Nanaba explains.

"From the south?" Connie croaks.

"So they broke through the wall?" Reiner hisses at Bertholt.

"Get moving! You can't sit around like you are now if you're dead," Nanaba orders.

The chairs scrape against the ground as the recruits push to rush out the door. Nanaba turns back and flies out the window and lands on the roof, near Mike.

"Mike, the titans?" Nanaba asks, staring into the distance.

"They're coming. They're right in front and as far as my nose can tell…" Mike stops to sniff the air. "There are nine of them on their way now."

"So we need to act as if the wall has been breached. But even so, there would be reports from the Trost or Krolva District of an attack. If the wall itself was broken through, we can only assume the potential damage," Nanaba ponders. "Even with Eren's ability, there's no way we could plug the wall without a boulder conveniently lying around the breach so in other words, the worst possible scenario is happening right now."

Nanaba slumps down onto the tiled roof, her gear clanking.

"We've even failed to identify the Armored and Colossal Titan or even identify their combat strength. We've failed. Humanity has lost," Nanaba says..

"No we haven't. Even though what we've done to the recruits was inexcusable, we only lose if we stop fighting. We still have Eren's power, as well as the Clawed Titan, if it even decides to help us. Come now, we must fight," Mike said looking at the recruits on the ground, rushing to saddle up their horses.

Nanaba stands up and they leap down to the ground. They get on to their own horses and gallop away from the facility.

"When the titans reach the forest, everyone split up! But before then, everyone get into four groups. Each group will head in their own direction and spread the word. Branch of once we split into our groups. North, west, and east teams will focus on spreading the warning. South team will focus on assessing the area of breach. Everyone got that?!" Mike yells over the pounding horse hooves.

"Yes sir," came a chorus of replies.

"Alright, is anyone familiar with this area?" Mike yells.

"I am sir, my village is in the northern forest. I know the terrain well! Connie as well," Sasha spoke up.

"My village is to the south, where the titans were coming from. Please, I know it may be hopeless but I need to go see for myself," Connie pleaded.

"Fine, you're leading the south team," Mike said.

"Connie, I'm coming too," Reiner shouted.

"Reiner, are you sure? It's dangerous out there," Connie shouted back.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Bertholt, you coming?" Reiner asked.

"I'm going too," Bertholt confirmed.

"The titans have reached the trees, everyone split up," Mike roared.

The group split, each one going their own way. Mike looked back at the titans which at this point began to sprint towards the soldiers.

"What?! The titans are running now? Their fast, too fast! They'll catch up to us," a soldier panicked.

Mike gritted his teeth and shouted, "Gelgar, lead the group onward!" before turning tail and riding back towards the titan horde.

"What?! Squad Leader Mike is going to be a distraction? Nine titans at once, that's suicide!"

"No! I believe in him! Mike is one of the toughest soldiers ever! I'm confident he'll make it out alive," Gelgar shouted. "Keep moving!"

* * *

Mike stands on the roof, watching steam rise from the titan corpses.

'Four left. This is my chance. I've bought enough time for the teams to get far away,' Mike thinks as he whistles for his horse. 'And as long as my horse comes back, I can get out of here.'

He warily eyes the titan walking around the perimeter.

'Only, I'm concerned about that one. It's not coming near me so it must be an abnormal. 17 meters tall, as big as the Clawed Titan. It's nothing like I've ever seen, covered in hair, like some sort of beast,' he observed.

A neighing sound snaps him back to reality. He looks ahead to see his horse running back towards him. Mike grins.

'Good, you're back. It looks like I won't have to stay here till nightfall,' he thinks, but his victory was short lived.

The titan walking around bent down and snatched his horse of the ground. Mike's eyes widened with surprise and horror.

'It went for the horse?! Does that mean…' Mike thought before getting interrupted.

The titan reared back its arm and threw the horse at Mike. The horse crashed onto the roof, next to him. The tiles slid out from underneath his boots, causing him to fall of the building, right into the waiting arms of a small titan. It immediately shoved him into it's mouth.

" **Wait** ," the Beast Titan growled walking towards them.

The small titan continued to attempt to shove a squirming Mike into its gullet.

" **I just told you to wait** ," the Beast Titan continued, squeezing the head of the titan, forcing it to release and drop Mike.

" **Blech** ," it said, wiping the blood of it's hand.

" **You there, what do you call that weapon you use to fly around?** " it asked, crouching down to get a better look.

Mike shrank back in terror, refusing to answer.

" **Huh. I thought we spoke the same language, but I guess you're to terrified to talk** ," the titan concluded.

It eyed the swords by Mike's side and began to chuckle.

" **Hmm, you use swords as well. That must mean you know we reside in the nape** ," the titan observed. " **Well then, have it your way. I'll just take it with me.** "

It extended a giant hand towards Mike. He curled up into a ball in fear, hands on his head. Mike felt a tugging sensation as the Beast Titan pulled his gear of him. The titan got back up and began to walk away.

" **Oh, you can move now,** " the titan said.

The other titans began to rush at Mike from where they stood.

Over the sounds of his wailing, the Beast Titan turned his head and spoke, " **I knew you could talk. My, my, they really think up interesting things."**

* * *

Northern Team

"All right, this next village is yours! Check it and help anyone who is still there," Sasha shouted.

"Is this the last village?" her teammate asked.

"No, there's one last one deep in the forest, my hometown," she replied.

"Alright then, good luck," the man shouted before going down the road leading to his assigned village.

She looks at the trees blurring by.

 _Flashback Starts_

"Sasha! Are you eating the meat?" her father yelled

Sasha furiously chewed at the venison as her father made a grab at the meat. He slapped her hand and the piece of meat fell onto the forest ground.

"That smoked meat's fer the winter stocks," her father said, trying to hold Sasha back.

She pushed at her father's chin and made a grab at the fallen meat.

"Fine then, do whatcha want. See if I care," her father grumbled as he released her.

Sasha dashed behind a tree and continued gnawing at her prized food. Her father wiped away his sweat and sat down on a tree stump.

"Sasha, y'ever think bout what's happenin to this world? Why the forest's been gittin' shrinking and why it's harder to catch any game? Ever thought about it?" her father sighed.

"I know. It's cause the outsiders been comin in and takin over forest and game," she grumbled. "That's why I'm hungry."

"Your right. But have ya ever thought about why they've had to come here? They lost their homes, Sasha, and their here cause they ain't got no other choice," her father said.

"Well, it's their fault for losing their homes. They should go and git out of our forest," she replied.

"Their homes were taken from them by the titans, Sasha! Where else can they go?" her father yelled. "They've been sayin that they should go and clear the forest to grow grain. Feeds more mouths they say. The monarchy offered us money ta look after horse as well."

"Wha? But if we give up on huntin, it'll be like we're giving up on who we are! Why should we go and help the folks that look down on us?" Sasha protested.

"Sasha, livin in this world is a privilege. Humans are the kinda animals that live in groups. If ya only have so much space, folks who live differently than the others hafta adapt and join in," he explained.

"No! Not me! Our ancestors taught us our way of livin and them outsiders don't have any right to stop us," Sasha yelled defiantly.

"That's fine. Livin your entire life with your own kin and values, but would you throw away yer life fer that? You could go out into the world but those who don't do their duty git nothin. Even if we hafta lose the way we live, I still wanna see my family to the future," her father continued scratching his beard. "Sasha, ya got a cowardly side to ya. Is it so hard fer ya to leave this forest and facin' other folks?"

 _Flashback Ends_

'It's been three years and I haven't gone back since that day,' Sasha thought.

She looked over to her side and pulled her horse to a stop. She stares at a giant footprint in horror.

'This far in?! They surely would've noticed that something was wrong and escaped,' she thought panicked.

She continued to ride up the road towards the village. The entire place changed since she was gone and it was eerily silent. She dismounted her horse and followed the footprints. She grabbed an axe stuck to a tree stump and followed the steps into a house with the door wide open.

Inside was a titan, maybe 3 meters tall? It was eating away at a woman's leg. Sasha averted her eyes from the grisly sight. She swung her axe at the nape of the titan's neck. The axe penetrated the skin with a "whop" sound.

'Damn it! If I can't get it deep enough, the wound will heal instantly,' she thought as steam poured from the damaged part of the titan's neck.

Sasha pulled the axe back but it flew out of her grip, impaling itself high up on the wall. She turned around, frustrated. When she looked back, she noticed someone she hadn't when going in, a child. She walked around the titan, grabbed the girl's arm, and they ran out the house.

"What's your name?" she asked the little girl. "It's going to be all right. I know it."

"What is?" the girl asked.

"Umm, well," Sasha stuttered as she fumbled with the horse's reins.

The horse pulled free and ran away.

"Oh come on! Please, come back!" she shouted after the horse.

"Why are you talking so nice?" the girl asked.

Sasha turned back to see the titan getting out of the house. She spotted a bow and some arrows lying on a crate and grabbed it.

"This way! Run now! Everything's going to be okay!" she yelled.

"Why? Everyone already ran. The people in the village knew mom had bad legs but no one would help her and all I did was watch," the girl replied.

 _Flashback Starts_

"Hey. That's really starting to get on my nerves," Ymir drawled, walking up to Sasha and Krista who were drawing water from a well.

"Pardon?" Sasha nervously asked.

"That stupidly polite way you talk. Why do you keep doing it in front of us trainees?" Ymir said.

"Umm, well you see…" Sasha says nervously.

"Oh wait, lemme guess. You must be ashamed of the way the people in your village talk, right? Bullseye? You know, you're pretty sensitive for a dummy. All you can do is hunt and be afraid of society, am I right?" Ymir teased. "You probably don't have a reason of becoming a soldier anyways. Your parents probably…"

"Ymir!" Krista warned.

Ymir ignored her and continued talking. "Are you gonna spend the rest of your life as some character? Talk to me in your own words, god damn it."

"Thank you very much," Sasha quietly said.

"Hmm?" Ymir asked.

"Umm, sorry. I'm still a little…" Sasha trailed off.

"Knock it off," Krista shouted. "Sasha can be who she wants to be, and I like the way she talks."

"Whatever. Even if you change the way you talk, it still won't stop you from annoying me," Ymir grumbles. "Not everyone's as thick skinned as you, you know."

 _Flashback Ends_

'Why am I remembering this? Worthless thoughts at a time like this,' she thinks.

"Hey listen," she tells the girl. "Just keep running down this path and it doesn't matter if you aren't strong. Someone will be there to help you but you may not find them immediately. But until then, just keep running until you do! Now go!"

She flings the girl forward and stops to load the bow.

"Git movin," she yells over her shoulder.

The girl turns back around and runs down the path, as fast as her feet can carry her. With her safe, Sasha turns back towards the titan. She lets her first arrow fly. It sticks itself into the titan's neck.

'If I can take out both its eyes, it'll buy us both a lot of time,' she thinks as she jumps up onto the ledge above to get a better vantage point.

She loads another arrow and lets it fly. This time, it flies past the titan's head, nicking its temple.

'Argh, it's a giant, slow moving target. Two arrows left, you can do this,' she thinks as she loads yet another arrow.

She aims and lets it fly, and it flew straight into the titan's eye.

'One down, one left. If I don't make this, I won't be able to get away. If it misses, me and that child…' she thinks as she closes her eyes. But as she does, something peculiar happens.

Her dad's words come back to her. " _Livin your entire life with your own kin and values, but would you throw away yer life fer that?"_

She opens her eyes and throws away the bow. She charges at the titan and jumps. She jams her last arrow into the things eye and slid downwards. She hits the ground running.

'I got away because that thing was slick with blood. I need to find a horse and that kid,' she thinks while running.

As she runs, she hears the sound of hooves clopping. She looks at the ledge which she had just jumped down from and sees people riding on horse. A man turns to look at her and both their faces morph into shock.

"Sasha?" her father asks.

After getting onto a horse, they begin riding again.

"We went all 'round givin' horses ta everyone. That kid told us someone was still over here, but who'da thought that it'll be you! So you fought that titan to help a kid out?" her father asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Sasha, you've done well," he said, a smile on his face.

"Father, I'm home," she says as they ride through the forest.


	19. Chapter 18

**A/N: I'm baaaaaack, with chapter 18! Sorry for the longer than usual wait, I had to fine tune when which event took place. I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter (although it's kind of a filler). Happy reading!**

16 Hours After the Titans Were Spotted

The cart rumbles and bumps as the Survey Corps makes their way to the Ehrmich District. Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Hange, Levi, Annie, and Drayce were all squeezed into one cart. Mikasa was still shooting death glares at Annie. Eren was looking down at his boots. Hange was fiddling with some kind of rock, they couldn't really tell at any rate.

"What should we do?" Armin asked, breaking the silence. "To think that Wall Rose would be just suddenly breached. At this point, I don't even know what options are left."

"Hey, would your buddies have broken down the walls?" Levi asked, leaning over to look at Annie.

"No they wouldn't have. As far as I'm concerned, they're still stuck in so called titan territory," Annie replied.

"If they weren't the one who let the titans in, then where did the titans come from?" Eren asked.

"It's too complicated. It goes back too far, some parts I don't understand myself," Annie said, shaking her head.

"Wait, why are we going to Ehrmich District again?" Drayce suddenly asked out of the blue.

"We told you a thousand times. We need to resupply. Our stocks at our HQ are low so we're stopping there to get more gas and blades," Levi huffed. "Oh and Hange, I didn't think you were crazy enough to resort to playing with rocks."

"This isn't a rock, well not really. This is hardened skin, from Annie's titan," Hange said.

"It's still here?" Armin asked confused.

"Exactly! It didn't evaporate like the the rest! Even more so, the structure seemed identical to the stone that makes up our wall." Hange exclaimed.

"Well, that tends to happen. When I harden my skin, it becomes petrified. It stays that way until it sheds off," Annie explains, shrugging. "Only select few shifters have the ability to harden their skin."

"Hey everyone, heads up. We've arrived," Mikasa said.

The gates in front of them slowly open, allowing them to pass through. As the line of soldiers pass through the city, hundreds of people are moving towards the gates.

"Everyone, I want you to resupply as fast as you can. Fill up on gas and blades. We move out as soon as possible," Levi orders above the sound of boots scuffing against the ground.

"Eren, do you think you can ride? From here on out, we're in titan territory," Moblit asks.

"Yeah, I think so. My strength is coming back to me," Eren says.

"We better hurry. There's a horse ready for you on the west lift now," Moblit replies, ushering Eren away.

"You two," Levi says, addressing Annie and Mikasa. "Use your skills to lookout for those two. We can't afford any mistakes now. Control yourselves."

At the refueling station, George walks up next to Drayce who was currently struggling to refuel with one hand. He grabs the hose and plugs it in for him.

"Thanks," Drayce says.

"No problem. How's the arm?" George asks, filling his own canisters.

"Eh, still can't regenerate it yet," Drayce replies with a shrug.

"You know, I've known you for fourteen years and I still can't get over how you regrow your limbs. Where do the bones even come from?" George asked, looking pretty shook.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Drayce says, unplugging the hose. "I can't understand how you get stuck all the time. You can make portals."

"Hey! Unlike you, some of us actually want to stay hidden," George whines.

"Everyone let's go! We're leaving and if you get left behind, we're not coming to get you!" Levi shouts.

"Well, then. We should probably go," Drayce says.

* * *

 **West Team:** Seven Hours After Titans Were Spotted

"We're pretty close to the wall. No one would be living around here," a soldier remarks.

"I see. Well the, we've finished faster than I thought. We need to keep on moving south," Nanaba replies.

"But why? There wouldn't be people living that far south either," Ymir asks.

"We need to find where the wall was breached. It'll be faster if we help the south team," Nanaba explains.

"But you do realize me and Krista don't have gear. Going farther south would mean that we'd become snacks. Please, let me and Krista withdraw from the front lines," Ymir protests.

"Ymir!" Krista says.

"No, we need at least one person ready to send a message. I know how you feel, but this is what it means to be a soldier. You need to be ready," Nanaba says.

"Ymir, I want to stay and help as much as I can. I signed up to be a soldier because I wanted to. But you didn't. You chose the Survey Corps because…" Krista says before getting interrupted.

"Because what?! Are you telling me that I joined because of you?" Ymir lashed back.

"If that's not the case then what? There would be no way I could've made the top fifteen. Ask anyone, they would agree. Why would you do so much for me? Does it have to do with my family?" Krista asked, eyes downcast, her voice noticeably quieter at the end of her statement.

"Yeah, it does," Ymir said. "But I'm here just for my own sake."

"All right then," Krista said relieved. "Good."

* * *

 **South Team:** Nine Hours After Titans Were Spotted

"CONNIE, WAIT," Reiner bellows. "CALM DOWN! THERE COULD BE TITANS ANYWHERE! FALL BACK FOR NOW!"

"No, it can't be," Connie croaks as he stops in the center of his ruined village. "Is anyone here? It's me, Connie! I'm back!"

Spotting a footprint in the ground, he takes off towards the direction of his house.

"Mom, dad, Sunny, Martin," he says, voice cracking.

He stops in front of his house and what he sees makes his heart stop. A titan, lying on top of the remnants of his house.

"Connie, fall back damn it," Reiner gasps out of breath, pushing the boy back.

"I-It's my house," he says, eyes not once leaving the sight before him.

"Both of you, fall back," Gelgar orders. "Keep an eye on the surroundings!"

He glances upwards and his eyes widen in shock. He canters around the building once.

"How?! How did it get here?! It couldn't have, not with those limbs," Gelgar says in shock, staring at one of the titan's spindly legs.

As night fell, the south team began to pack up.

"Connie!" Reiner shouts, running towards him with Bertholt following close behind. "Were there any survivors?"

"No. Everyone's gone. My home is gone. There's no one here," the bald boy replied, tears in his eyes.

Cringing, Reiner squeezes his eyes shut and put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Hey, has anyone noticed something strange?" Gelgar asked. "If the titan had wiped out the village, it's impossible for them not to leave behind a body or blood. It's not like they have fine etiquette."

"Come to think of it, I have seen a single body or blood at all," Reiner observed. "What about you Bert?"

"Me neither," the tall boy responded.

"Then that must mean they all fled!" a woman exclaimed. "It's impossible for titans not to make a mess when they eat! The village must've seen them coming and fled which means everyone survived, including your family."

"Hey, your right," Connie said, a smile growing on his face as the realization struck him.

"They're probably already on the other side of Wall Sina by now," the woman assured him.

Gelgar looks around the place worriedly. 'That's the best probable explanation but there are somethings that don't add up. If the villagers did flee, why would titans just stomp around empty houses? Also, the village stable still has horses in them. If they did flee, why didn't they take the horses. Going by foot would decrease the survival rate.'

He looks back up and turns back to them. "Are the torches ready?"

Connie nods an affirmative as he lifts up the unlit torches.

"From here, we're going to asses the damage to the wall so we need to head out," Gelgar explains.

Everyone quickly mounts on their horse and gallops after Gelgar. As Connie turns to leave, a raspy voice comes from behind him.

" _Welcome home._ "

Connie immediately turns around to try and locate the source. His eyes land on the titan on his crushed house. The thing's eyes were locked onto his.

"Huh, did it just.." Connie says, not sure if he heard correctly.

"Hey, Connie!" Reiner said, jolting him back to reality. "What are you doing just standing there?! We need to go!"

"T-that titan just spoke," Connie said unsure.

"What do you mean?! I didn't hear anything, besides we have a mission to worry about," Reiner yelled.

"It sounded like my mom," he said, the boy clearly shaken.

"Connie, do you know what's going on?! Our action will affect the lives of thousands! If you want to think about your family, think about them under shelter. We have a job to do as soldiers," Reiner said, turning back.

"Yeah, you're right," Connie says as he tears his eyes away from the titan and gallop after Reiner and the rest of the group.

* * *

 **Garrison Defense Line:** Nine Hours After Titans Were Spotted

"Keep luring it further," Weilman shouted. "Keep the cannons steady."

The titan stomped after the rider as he lured it closer to the line of cannons. Once the titan reached the barricade, it had no chance.

"FIRE!"

The cannons fired with a tremendous boom, the shells absolutely obliterating the titan's legs. Off balance, it slowly fell down where Rico took the chance to swoop in and kill it.

"I got it," she said, looking at the steaming corpse.

"We can do this Rico! If we keep up the progress, we can hold the line!" a soldier shouted in excitement.

"For now that is. What makes titans scary is their numbers," Rico said, readjusting her glasses. "A horde of titans would easily break this line of defense in a matter of seconds. But something still doesn't feel right."

* * *

 **Garrison Countermeasures Unit:** Nine Hours After Titans Were Spotted

"Hmm, this is strange," Hannes said, riding along Wall Rose.

"What is it, Captain Hannes?" his partner asked.

"We've yet to encounter a single titan. In the past, the usually bring a horde and then break the wall," Hannes explained as he kept a wary eye out. "We should be nearing the breach by now and it's still quiet. But for once, let's hope it stays that way."

* * *

 **South Team:** Eleven Hours After Titans Were Spotted

'It's pitch black. We need to move faster, though it'll be suicidal to do so. We can barely see 5 feet in front of us. Not only that, there's the possibility of titan's near us,' Gelgar thought nervously as his hand shook madly. 'No, it's not just a possibility anymore. It's the inevitable as we get closer. When will they come out?!'

It was so quiet, they could hear each other breathing. Lights started to appear in front of them, faint at first but growing stronger. The group's eyes widened as it drew closer, until they came face to face with Nanaba's group.

"Huh? Did you guys follow the wall too?" Gelgar asked confused.

"Yeah. So where's the hole?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Gelgar asked.

"We took a detour and started all the way at the wall's west end but we didn't find anything strange. If we didn't then surely you must've," she said, her turn to be confused.

"No. We have seen a hole either. Did you miss it?" Gelgar asked.

"It would've been impossible to miss it. It's big enough for titan," Nanaba replied.

"Then what should we do? Should we do another pass?" Gelgar asked.

"We should but our horses and ourselves are near exhaustion. We'd just be less focus. Maybe if we had some moonlight…" Nanaba trailed off.

"Hey, look at that. The moon's out and is that the ruined castle?" Gelgar asked.

The group made their way to the ruins and the sign confirmed it. It was the ruined castle Utgard Castle, the rendezvous point.

"Looks like someone was living here before us. Probably some trouble maker," Gelgar said as he put his torch in the torch holder. "I even found this here."

"Gelgar, is that alcohol? You're not seriously going to drink it are you?" a woman chided.

"At a time like this? No way," Gelgar said.

"Recruits, rest up here. It's been hours since sunset so titans shouldn't be active now. We'll still take turns on lookout. We leave tomorrow, four hours before the sun rises," Gelgar orders.

"Umm, if it turns out the wall isn't breached, what do we do then?" Krista asked.

"That's our job to figure out tomorrow. But for now, get some sleep," Gelgar said before walking up the stairs to the roof.

"Is it possible that things aren't as bad as we thought it was?" Krista asked, hugging her knees to her chest.

"It is possible. The only time we saw titans were when they had initially appeared," a soldier answered.

"Hey Connie, what happened to your village?" Ymir blurted out.

"It was destroyed. The titans had trampled through it," he answered shortly. "But no one was eaten. It seemed to me that everyone got away. That's at least something I can be thankful for."

"But didn't you say your village was destroyed," Ymir asked puzzled.

"Yeah but there would bodies or blood if people were killed. But since there wasn't, I can assume that they got away," Connie explained.

Ymir for once had nothing to say and instead looked down.

"But there's one thing that's been nagging me. A titan was lying on top of my house and with the size of its limbs, it couldn't have gotten there in the first place," he said, scratching his head. "Moreover, it looked like my mom."

"Connie, are you still delusional?" Reiner asked, an annoyed look on his face but before he could continue, Ymir burst out laughing.

"So your mom was a titan Connie? If that's the case then why are you so short huh? How does that even make the slightest bit of sense? I always saw you as a moron but maybe it turns out you're a genius!" Ymir ridiculed.

"Shut up," Connie grumbled. "This got stupid."

"I mean if your theory is correct then shouldn't you dad be a titan too?"

"Just shut up okay? Just go to bed!" Connie yelled.

* * *

"What are you doing Ymir?" Reiner asked, pushing open the door.

Ymir turned around to see Reiner at the doorway. She went back into rummaging around the crate.

"Sneaking into a girl's room at night Reiner?" Ymir asked. "You don't seem like the guy who's interested in girls."

"Yeah, and you don't strike me as the kind of girl that likes guys," Reiner replied with a slight grin.

"Hah. I'm just looking for something to fill my stomach. Probably be our last meal," she said.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about something. When Connie brought up his village, you purposely changed the subject, didn't you? I want you to keep it up, if you can. Just so he doesn't get to worried about his family," Reiner said.

"What are you talking about? What's this?" Ymir asked.

She pulled out a little can and read the label.

"It's herring. Not my favorite, but it'll do," she said.

"Is there any more in there? Let me take a look," Reiner said, his interest peaking.

Ymir handed him the can of herring. Reiner stared at the can.

"This is canned food? Wait. What are these letters? I can't read them. I'm surprised, Ymir. I didn't know you knew how to read it," Reiner speculated.

"ALL TROOPS WAKE UP!" a woman shouted. "GET TO THE ROOF!"

Everyone woke with a start and scrambled up the stairs, desperate to see what was going on.

"The moon came out and the next thing I knew…" she trailed off.

Everyone looked at the scene in horror. The titans were moving and it was well past sundown.

They were swarming all over the place, providing no foreseeable way of escape.

"Well shit."


	20. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hey, guys! It's been what? Almost a week and a half? Anyways, thank you Scattershot98 for the incredibly helpful writing tips. It really helped this chapter develop better. Anyways, and as always, happy reading!  
**

"What the hell?! The sun went down ages ago! Why are they still moving?" Gelgar asked furiously. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"Hey, look at that!" Connie yelled, pointing to a lumbering titan. "What the hell is that? It's fucking huge!"

The recruits turned to stare at the odd titan, 17 meters tall and covered in hair.

"It's like some beast," Ymir said. "What is that?"

"That's not all, it walking towards the wall," Connie observed.

A titan slammed its body against the tower, making it shudder.

"That doesn't matter right now! What does is the fact that titans are here are and we need to take them out right now or we're all dead. Switch to maneuver gear," Nanaba shouts. "Stand back recruits. We'll show you how it's done."

The four senior soldiers leapt of the building to engage the horde. Immediately, a titan made a grab for Gelgar.

"You stupid shit! You can't grab me!" he yelled as he sliced the fingers clean of the hand.

Nanaba swerved around and sliced the nape clean open. The titan fell, crushing the smaller ones below, which were making their way towards the old wooden door.

"Ha! Look at that. It fell and crushed the small ones. What a freaking moron," Gelgar crowed.

"Gelgar, you're too rash. You could've easily avoided that without dulling your blades," Nanaba chidded.

"You know me Nanaba, that's how I fight," Gelgar replied.

A smaller titan was struggling to get out from underneath the larger, dead titan. Lynne dropped down onto its head and cut at it's nape. She turned around. The door, it was broken down. The titans had gotten into the castle. She flew back up to the tower, landing next to Henning.

"We're too late! They broke down the door," she shouted.

"Inform the recruits," Henning yelled back.

Lynne but on a burst of speed and landed on one of the tower's paparets.

"Titans have entered the tower! Find whatever you can and make a barricade. Our gear is useless indoors. In the worst case, escape back to the roof," she orders. "We may not be able to save you. Hell, I don't even know if we'll be alive, but as long as you are, keep fighting. Got that?"

"Yes Ma'am," the recruits shouted before dashing down the stairs.

"I'll check how far they've gotten in," Reiner yelled, grabbing a torch and rushing down the stairs. "Get anything you can that'll form a barricade."

"Reiner, wait!" Connie yelled but it was no use. Reiner had already gone to asses the damage.

"He's the same as he was during training. Always the first to rush headlong into danger," Connie groaned.

"Yeah, it's kind of a habit of his," Bertholt replied.

* * *

Reiner cautiously pushed open a door, shining his light down.

'Still further down? Huh, I'd expected them to be faster,' he thinks.

He walks down the stairs and approaches another door. He removes the slab of wood that makes up the door's blockade. He pushes it open and the light lands on a titan, less than five feet away from him. With wide eyes, Reiner immediately slams the door shut, jams the wooden plank back in place, and pushes his back against the door. A powerful thump comes from behind the door, causing him to lose balance.

"Whoa! Down here!" he yells. "Bring something! Anything!"

He continues to resist the force of the titan behind the door. With a loud crack, an arm forces its way through the rotted wood.

'Shit! This door won't hold much longer and if we don't do something...' he thinks just as the hand slams down where his head was. 'Am I going to die here?! No. I have to make it back, back to my hometown!'

The titan forces its head through the wood, causing it to splinter and break further.

"Reiner!" Bertholt yells as he drives a pitchfork right into the titan's eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Reiner grunts as he helps his friend drive the pronged weapon further into the beast's eyes.

"Bertholt, Reiner, lookout," Ymir yells, pushing a cannon through the doorway.

"Is that a cannon?!" Reiner yells.

"Yeah, but we don't have powder or shells. We're going to ram it so get out of the damn way," Ymir shouts back.

With a final shove, the cannon rolls down the stairs, rocketing towards Reiner, Bertholt, and the titan. At the last second, they both leap out of the way, leaving the titan to take the brunt of the force. The door shatters behind the weight of the cannon and crushes the titan, blocking the doorway.

"Nice going. Looks like it's not getting out anytime soon. Not at that size," Reiner says amazed.

"What should we do now? All I have is this knife. Should we try cutting the neck?" Connie asks, moving towards the downed titan.

"No, just forget it. It has enough power to injure you by grabbing you," Reiner said wiping away sweat.

"Reiner's right. For now we should get back upstairs. It's possible more than one made it in," Krista said, turning back to see another titan squeezing past the cannon.

It popped out from behind their makeshift barricade and made a lunge for the bald boy's head.

"Connie, watch out," Krista screamed.

"Huh?" Connie said as he turned around, just in time to see Reiner push him and the titan's mouth away.

The titan made another attempt at a victim by biting at Reiner's head. Reiner turned and held up his arm in defense. The titan chomped down on his forearm instead.

"Reiner," Connie said terrified.

The teeth sank deeper into his arm, cracking noises could be heard now. Gritting his teeth, Reiner swung with all his might and lifted the titan of the ground. He slowly moved up the steps.

"No way, you're not thinking about jumping out the window with that thing are you," Connie asked horrified.

"It's the only thing I can do," Reiner shouted as he lifted a leg up to the ledge.

"No! Wait! If I can cut it's jaw muscle…" Connie yelled as he stabbed his knife into the titan and began sawing as fast as he could.

"There! It released," Connie yelled as the jaws to the titan slackened, enabling Reiner to pull free his arm.

The titan began moving back towards them but a well placed kick from Ymir sent the titan tumbling down and out the tower. The recruits began to move back up and when the last person got in, Connie slammed the door shut.

"Barricade the door now!" he yelled.

Bertholt and Ymir began to pile poles up against the door, wedging them so they stuck at the first step. Krista uncorked a bottle and began emptying the contents on Reiner's wound.

"Sorry, I'm sorry," she squeaks as Reiner flinches. "Is it fractured?"

"Most likely. Just my damn luck," he grumbles.

"We need to make splint and bandage," she says holding up a piece of wood.

She begins to rip a strip of cloth from her dress. "I'm sorry, but all I have is this dirty cloth."

"No, I'm grateful for it," Reiner replies but in his head is a different story. 'Marry me.'

"Hey Reiner, are you okay," Connie asks, coming up to the burly boy.

"Yeah, I guess so," he responds as Krista finishes tying the knot to his sling.

"Hey Krista, my finger got skinned," Ymir said.

"Just spit on it," Connie said melancholy. "Hey Reiner, I'm sorry about what happened. It seems that your always saving my ass."

"It's no problem. We're soldiers," Reiner replied.

"Really? I'm not sure if I could risk my life you, without even a second of hesitation," Connie replied sheepishly. "Hey Bertholt, was Reiner always like this?"

"No," the tall boy replied. "He used to be more of a...warrior. He's different now."

"Hey guys. We need to salvage what we can so we can die without any regrets. But then again, that depends on our officials," Ymir said as she peered out the window. "Whoa."

Steaming titans were everywhere. It was clear that they handled the situation well.

"That's the Survey Corps for you. Other soldiers don't even measure up to them," Ymir said.

* * *

"Well, that should be it for the big ones," Gelgar said as he slashed at a titan's nape.

"Then again, we rarely get to fight in conditions that are favorable to us. We have the tower to thank for that," Nanaba replied.

"We'll check on the recruits," Lynne said.

"Roger," Nanaba replied.

"Hey, what's that sound?" Gelgar asked, frowning.

Suddenly, a wooden structure near them explodes. When the dust clears, they're in shock.

"Wha-? A horse?!" Gelgar asked confused.

"Again? What is that noise?!" Lynne asked Henning.

A piece of rock flew at them, taking out a chunk of the tower's top. The impact made a deafening boom. Nanaba turned and looked at the top of the tower in horror as two bodies fell.

"Lynne, Henning!" she yelled.

The recruits rushed up the stairs to see Nanaba and Gelgar over two bodies. A look of sadness along with grim determination were on their faces.

"What just happened?" Connie frantically asked.

"A rock flew over here and hit them. They were killed instantly," Nanaba said, shaking her head.

Connie looked over towards the wall. Sure enough, that ape of a titan was still there, perched on the wall, looking right at them. It raised it arms and roared. A small chunk of the wall next to it was missing and there was only one place it could've gone.

"That titan there! That's the one throwing things at us," Connie yelled.

The others turned to the hairy titan, watching it climb down the wall on the other side, hatred boiling. Connie looked over the edge towards the forest instead.

"Uh, guys! The titans are coming again but this time more twice the number we just dealt with," he yelled.

The group turned and ran towards the other side of the roof. Connie was right. More titans were lumbering out the forest towards them. The attack was too organized, almost like it was planned. To strike when they were weak.

"Damn it. I don't have too much gas or blades left," Nanaba said, checking her supplies. Of her 12 blades, only 4 remained fresh and sharp, ready for action. Her gas levels were also lower than she would've liked.

"We don't have a choice. We need to keep fighting," Gelgar said, replacing his dulled blades with new ones. Nanaba nodded in agreement and the two jumped down once again to meet the second wave head on.

The new recruits could only watch. For a while, the duo were doing pretty good. They worked together, taking advantage of the slow speeds of the titans and conserving as much gas as possible. Then things went south. Gelgar swooped down for a kill but an unexpected hand sent him flying into the side of the building. Quickly recovering, he sliced at the nape of a nearby titan and landed next to Nanaba.

"Are those dull blades all you have left?" Gelgar asked.

In reply, Nanaba nodded silently. Gelgar's head was hanging low.

"I'm completely out of gas and I don't have the strength to continue fighting," the man said hoarsely. "I'm sorry, I must've hit my head."

With that, his anchors came loose and he fell, right into the grasp of a titan. The titan lifted him up to its mouth but before it could bite down, Nanaba sliced the nape open with her last blades, shattering them in the process.

The dead titan fell forward, its hand smashing a hole into the side of the castle where Gelgar fell in. The broken man crawled and reached for a discarded bottle and unplugged it. He tilted it to his mouth but nothing came out, save for a drop which landed on his chin.

"Seriously? I'm about to die and I can't even get a drink," he wailed as a titan grabbed him. "WHO DRANK IT ALL?!"

* * *

The recruits looked away as their superiors fell prey to the titans. They all turned to face each other.

"We're the last ones left. We're dead," Connie said throwing up his hands. Silence falls, the only thing heard are the footsteps of the titans.

"Connie, do you still have that knife?" Ymir asked. The boy tugged the knife from his belt and handed it over to the freckled girl. She got up and walked to the other end of the roof while testing the knife's sharpness. Satisfied, she looked up.

"What are you doing? You're not planning to fight them with that knife are you?" Krista asked.

"Krista, do you remember when you asked me why I was here?" Ymir asked her. Krista shook her head in confusion.

"I answered that I was here for myself," Ymir said looking into the night sky. " Promise me one more thing, that you'll live for no one but yourself."

The blond girl looked back at Ymir and nodded. Ymir gave a hint of a smile before charging straight the group, knife in hand.

"Ymir, wait," Krista screamed, shielding herself. Ymir rushed past them and jumped off the roof.

The rest of the recruits scrambled back up and looked over at where Ymir jumped off, watching her fall towards the titans armed with nothing more than a knife.

'Krista, so many years ago we made a promise. That I'd live for myself and in exchange, you would be yourself. You have yet to fulfill that promise,' Ymir thought before cutting her hand with the knife.

Blood splattered her face and lightning crackled around her. Her friends watched in amazement as the sky lit up yellow as a bolt of lightning stuck down on Ymir. They watched as flesh, bones, and skin materialized from thin air, wrapping around her. Ymir, who was now a titan roared a challenge to all titans below her. She immediately went to work, blinding them with her sharp nails, and killing with her teeth.

"D-did you know about this?" Connie asked, his mouth agape. Krista could only shake her head in response.

'She was the one…' Bertholt thought.

'...who killed Marcel!' Reiner thought as well, shooting a look towards his tall friend.

Ymir "danced" around the titans, using her speed and agility to her advantage. Always moving before they could catch her. A titan snagged her leg as she gripped onto the castle. Ymir looked up at the shifting bricks and let go, fighting her way out of the grasp of the titans.

"How could this be?!" Reiner asked in shock.

"I don't know but she's risking her life for us right now," Krista said. "GO YMIR!"

The tower shook as titans fell down dead, pushing against the old supports causing it to tilt and shift. A particularly big one crashed down causing Krista to lose her balance and fall.

"Ahhh!" she screamed as she fell.

Ymir looked up and roared. Luckily for her, Reiner had grabbed her wrist and pulled her back up to safety with his raw strength.

"Thanks Reiner," Krista said, relieved as she was just saved from being titan fodder. "Umm, Reiner, can you let go? You're hurting me now!"

Realising this, he immediately let go of his grip on Krista. "I'm sorry, Krista. I don't know what went through my head just now," he replied apologetically. "Is your wrist okay?"

"It's fine," Krista replied as she looked over the edge. Ymir was running out of energy, her movements were slower now. Ymir launched upwards to the tower and grabbed hold, panting heavily, trying to catch her breath. But as soon as she did, a brick she grabbed came loose and fell from the tower into the horde below. Seeing this, she immediately jumped back into the fray.

"Ymir! You told me that you'd live for yourself! You're worried that the tower will fall aren't you? So what if it does?! I don't care! Bring the entire damn thing down," Krista shouted angrily.

Ymir grunted and grabbed a brick, throwing one after another at the titans around the tower, keeping them at bay. The entire castle tilted, threatening to fall if she removed any more of its bricks. Ymir rapidly climbed the tilting castle and gripped the edge.

" _ **Want… live? Grab...on!**_ " she growled.

One by one, the recruits jumped and grabbed her hair as the tower fell. Climbing onto the other side of the tower, they rode it as it crashed down, crushing the titans below them, burying them in the rubble. The recruits dropped down onto the floor, and sighed.

"Holy crap! I can't believe that worked," Reiner exclaimed.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, pieces of rubble began to shift and titan began to pop back out from underneath.

"Hey ugly, behind you!" Connie shouted.

As soon as the boy said that, she made a mental note to get him back but right now, she had a job to finish.

Ymir turned and jumped, just avoiding a titan's fist. She tried to leap away but it grabbed her hair, keeping her where she was. Her friends could only watch as the titans converged on her. A nearby titan began to advance on the group.

"Krista! Watch out!" Reiner shouted.

Krista turned to see a titan leap at her, mouth open, ready to snap her up. Before Krista could do anything, the titan jerked and fell down besides her dead.

"All Scouts, fan out and finish off the remaining titans," Hange shouted.

"The Survey Corps are here," Connie shouted gleefully.

And it was a sight to behold. Soldier were flying left and right, cutting the titans down. It took less than a minute to finish off the remaining titans. Krista ran up the the steaming pile of corpses and dragged Ymir's broken body away from the carnage. Levi, Hange, and the others stood around the girl, watching her wounds steam.

"Ymir," Krista said with tears in her eyes. "My real name is Historia."

The freckled shifter looked up with a satisfied smile and nodded before drifting off to sleep.

"We need a stretcher here," Hange called out carefully hoisting the girl of the rubble.

Suddenly, a yelp and a sharp smacking sound came from behind the scouts. Everyone turned with their swords out to see an appalling sight. Bertholt was unconscious at Drayce's feet. Annie had his katana at Reiner's throat.

"Annie, toss me the rope," Drayce said darkly.

With a smack of the sword to the temple, Reiner crumpled. Annie reached to grab the rope from the cart but was met with three swords to her throat. One from Eren, Jean, and Mikasa.

"What the hell are you two thinking? Mikasa snarled.

Drayce walked over next to Annie and dropped Bertholdt's unconscious form next to Reiner's. His gold eyes bore no warmth, just a cold, hard look behind them. He gazed at everyone around them with their swords out, pointing to the two of them before speaking in a humorless voice, "Low and behold, the Armored and Colossal Titan."


	21. Chapter 20

**A/N: Another week and a half passed. Things are ramping up now and not just in the story. Christmas is tomorrow! Yay! (Well it is for me. Don't know about you guys but still. :P) In the spirit of giving gifts, if y'all behave, I might just post Chapter 21 tomorrow as a gift for you guys! And as always, happy reading! :)**

A silence pans throughout the entire ruins. The Survey Corps stare at the unconscious forms of Reiner and Bertholt. Taking his sword back from Annie, Drayce carefully removes the makeshift sling from Reiner's arm, revealing steam drifting from the injured arm. Drayce steps away from the two and sheaths his sword. Hange adjusts her goggles, expression hardening.

"Tie the two up. We have the Armored and Colossal titan in our custody now! We can end this," Hange orders.

"No way," Eren croaks, staring at the steam rising from Reiner's arm. "We trusted you."

"They were our friends," Jean said, shocked by the revelation.

William and George grabs the rope from the cart and binds their hands and feet and eventually their bodies together, back to back. They hoist the two traitors onto the cart and lay Ymir next to them.

"Send a report back to the Wall, there was no breach," Hange instructs Keji. "Inform them we have the Armored and Colossal Titan as well. When we get back, we're locking them underground."

The man nods and gets on his horse and gallops away. "All soldiers, load back up, we're heading to Wall Rose now," Levi shouts.

Drayce climbs back into the cart, the one Reiner and Bertholt are on. Levi climbs in and sits down next to him. Annie takes her seat across from them. Soon, the wagon starts moving, taking them closer to the wall.

"How long have you known?" Levi asked Drayce, not looking at him.

"Since, you let Annie see me in the infirmary. I kept silent because I felt it would cause too much distress to the rest of them if we had said it out right," Drayce replied.

Levi nodded in response but stayed silent. In fact, the entire ride was silent. No one was in the mood to talk after finding out two of their best friends were traitors. A somber feeling was hanging in the air. Mikasa held Eren tighter as the boy stared off into space, his anger and rising. _They_ were the ones responsible for _his_ mother's death. _They_ were the ones responsible for starting this damn mess. As the hour passed, the sun began to rise, the colors of dawn spreading across the sky. The carts slowed to a stop. They had reached Wall Rose.

* * *

"Steady, keep it steady."

It was the next morning. Krista and Hange stared at the lift carrying the broken and injured body of Ymir. They were kind enough to give her a blanket. Steam was still rising, indicating that she still needed time to heal.

"Her arm and leg are gone. Her innards are scrambled from the entire ordeal. If she was a regular human, she would've died," Hange informed the blonde girl. "We've yet to find out where her loyalties lie."

"She risked her own life to save us! Doesn't that within itself speak volumes about her loyalties?" Krista protested.

Hange's face pulled into a grim smile. "She may have done it for you. Until we further question her, we can't be sure. I hear your name is Historia Reiss."

Krista nodded, her eyes downcast at the mention of her name.

"Is it Reiss as in the royal family Reiss?" Hange asked.

"Yes, it is," Historia answered, her voice becoming sad.

"Well then! It's nice to meet you Historia," Hange said cheerfully in an attempt to cheer up the girl. "We still need to give Ymir some proper medical care. We'll send her to a hospital when we get back."

Hange walks off, leaving Historia at Ymir's side. The scientist stops next to Levi, staring at the two bound shifters.

"We're going to have an escort team take them underground in Rose. They'll be held there for questioning until, hopefully, their execution," Levi explains.

Hange nods. "But until then, we need to wait until all the supplies are up here so we can move out. It should take approximately an hour or so."

"You two, watch them to make sure they don't try anything," Levi orders, pointing to two soldiers, before walking off to oversee how the progress was going.

* * *

'Ugh, what happened? Where are we?' Bertholt thinks, slowly waking up.

"You two...make sure...don't try anything."

Was that the corporal's voice? He tried moving his leg but he couldn't. Of course, they were bound. They were found out, but how?

"Psst, Bertholt. You up?" Reiner whispered discreetly. "We've been compromised."

"I know, but how? The last thing I remember is the Corps saving us and…" Bertholt trails off.

"Annie's turned. She sold us out. It was going to happen eventually. She was never fully invested in this," Reiner whispered back, eyes still closed, feigning sleep.

It was a punch in the gut, although both boys knew it was going to happen. The mission was compromised, and furthermore, the Beast Titan was here. What were they going to do?

"We need to leave now," Reiner whispered. "Try skinning yourself against the wall. I'll grab Eren and maybe Annie. You grab Ymir. If we fight, the odds will be against us but we have to try."

Bertholt nodded and the two began to scrape their knuckles rapidly against the wall. The two guards looked back, realising they were awake and aware of what they were trying to do. They both reached for their swords but it was two late. The sound of crackling electricity filled the air. Every single member of the Survey Corps turned, aware of what was going on.

Twin bolts of lighting struck down simultaneously frying the ropes that restrained them. Reiner leaped forward, grabbing Eren with one hand and making a swipe at Annie with the other. Drayce had his sword, leapt forward and lashed out at one of Reiner's fingers causing him to quickly retract his hand. Bertholt's titan grew, his rib cage growing clamping down on either side of the wall. Crates and various items flew everywhere from his titan's steam. Bertholt grabbed Ymir before her stretcher could tumble of the wall and threw her in his mouth along with another, screaming soldier.

Reiner jumped off the wall, sliding down it to slow his decent. An anger and anguished cry came from his hand as it exploded, Eren's titan forming before his very eyes. With a mighty roar, Eren drew back his arm for a punch. Both of them tumbled to the ground. From the wall, Levi stood back up shakily. How could things go bad so quickly?

"Leonhart! Get them," Levi roared at the shifter.

"Wait," Drayce yelled. Annie stopped and turned around. A small object was thrown at her and she caught it. It was her silver ring.

With a trusting nod from Drayce, she lept of the wall and plummeted towards the ground. With a flick from her ring's blade, another bolt of lighting struck and flesh began to form, wrapping around Annie. She hardened her legs just before impact, preventing her legs from turning into slush.

Back at the top, the rest of the 104th stared at the scene in shock.

"Wait, Annie was the Female Titan this entire damn time?!" Connie yelled.

"Long story mate," William said. "But right now, we have a bigger target, that thing."

He pointed towards Bertholt's humongous form. Hange was next to him, gritting her teeth before shouting, "All soldiers, target the Colossal Titan. Bring him down," she ordered. The soldiers blasted off towards Bertholt, shouting as they did so.

'It's just like the reports said! He may be big but he's slow!' Jean thought, reeling in towards his former friend's nape.

Suddenly, a blast of steam was released from Bertholt's titan. It was burning, way too hot to stand. Grunting, Jean fell back away along with the other soldiers. A man collapsed next to him.

"We need water here!" Jean yelled. "Hurry!"

"He's emitting steam," Hange noted grimly.

Armin's eyes never left Bertholt's titan form. "Something's different. He's not disappearing all at once. He's keeping a steady stream as a defense mechanism."

"So is there nothing we could do?" Hange asked, eyes narrowed. In response, Armin fired a hook but the steam pushed the hook back and it fell down uselessly. "Then we wait."

* * *

'Reiner, Bertholt, you bastards. We trusted you, we all did. Why?! What cause is great enough for you to kill hundreds? What?!' Eren screamed inwardly as his titan roars and throws a punch at him.

Reiner doges and tackles him to the ground. A hard blow strikes Reiner in the back, causing his armor to crack. Roaring in pain, Reiner rolls off Eren and gets back up to see Annie's hardened fists held up in a defensive position. She holds out a hand to Eren and he accepts it.

'This is bad. The odds are against me right now. I have to take out Eren first since he's the weaker of the two,' Reiner thinks.

"Eren, we need you to move back towards the wall! Don't let the damned bastard draw you away," Jean shouted.

Reiner roars and rams straight into Eren, knocking him against the wall, pinning him there. Jean waved his arms in the air as he tried not to lose balance.

"Well, that works too," Jean grumbled.

Annie make a dash at Reiner, hardening her shoulder before ramming into Reiner, knocking him of Eren. Reiner tumbles to the ground, bringing Annie as he does. From a distance, Hange's eyes widen. The back of his knees! She looks at his arms as well. How could she not see it before? She swings down and lands onto Eren's shoulder.

"Eren! I may have found Reiner's weak spot! The area behind his joints! He can't harden them or it'll restrict his movements!" Hange shouts. "If you can somehow use that to your advantage, we could win!"

Eren turns his head to the scientist and nods. Hange stares back at him and blushes before swinging away. Eren barrels towards Annie and Reiner, the two exchanging blows. He skids in front of them and grabs on of Reiner's arms and began bending it the wrong way. Reiner's titan let out a roar of pain as his forearm was ripped off.

Taking this hint, Annie delivers a swift kick to the back of Reiner's knees, downing the warrior. Eren pins him to the floor, attempting to rip Reiner's head straight off his shoulders. Reiner raises his remaining hand in a futile attempt to shield his nape as Annie repeatedly strikes at it with a crystalized fist.

"Yeah, you've got the son of a bitch," Rachel yelled. All heads turned to her. "What?" she demanded.

"Does she swear?" Connie asked George. "I've never heard her swear."

In return the engineer shrugged. "Well, not on a daily basis but yes, she does swear."

'I need to get to Bertholt, or I'm dead,' Reiner thinks as he pushes his feet, plowing through the dirt, trying to get underneath Bertholt.

He could feel his flesh slowly pulled apart as the combined force of Annie's blows and Eren's pulling battered at his now brittle armor. His hand fell to his side, practically nonexistent from all the punches he was taking. He crawled slowly under his best friend and roared three times.

'Oh shit,' Annie thought, hearing the signal.

She tried to pull Eren away from Reiner but the burly boy had now tightened his grip on him, refusing to let go. Back up on the wall, Bertholt's humongous form began to tilt, ribs cracking as they snapped, giving way to his weight.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Jean shouted, staring at Bertholt's precarious position.

With a final snap, the last of Bertholdt's bones broke. His titan form started falling from the wall, straight towards Annie, Eren, and Reiner. Annie hammered desperately at Reiner's arm, trying to free Eren before Bertholt fell on top of them but it was useless. There simply wasn't enough time. She closed her eyes and concentrated every fiber of her energy to hardening her back, shoulders, arms, and nape. A thick sheen of crystal spread over her entire form as the world around them exploded.

Steam, rubble, bones and flesh flew everywhere. Among the debris, she could see Reiner bite Eren's nape, pulling the controller out of his flesh shell. She could see the people on the wall get blown off from the extreme winds. She couldn't move with all the armor on her. Cursing her own stupidity, she began to shed it and ran. The crater was at least 20 meters long. Reiner had already taken off, no doubt the moment he managed to grab Eren. They were long gone by now.

Struggling to pull herself from her titan form, she could see a figure streaking from the wall, falling towards the ground. She swore she could've heard the person screaming something about falling off the wall again. She sighed, knowing only one person that would say that when taking a 50 meter dive, head first towards the ground. She trudged towards the hole and looked down to see Drayce smashed flat.

"Umm, help please?" he groaned, looking up at his exasperated girlfriend before passing out.

* * *

"Dude, what is that now? Two times within two months?" William asked when Drayce came back into consciousness.

Drayce nodded painfully. "Really exhilarating, you should try it sometime."

"Nah, I'm not into skydiving," William snarked back.

"When was the first time you fell off the wall?" Annie asked.

"Trost invasion. His gear was stuck so he got blown off when Bertholt transformed," Connie replied.

"Fucking bastards," Drayce said angrily.

Annie gave a sideways look at all the injured soldiers. The aftermath of the fight had left many of the soldiers incapacitated. Among them was Mikasa and Hange. Oh shit, Mikasa. Annie's eyes widen. She would furious is she found out they lost Eren again and not only that, she would take it out on her. Unluckily for her, Mikasa's eyes shot wide open.

"Mikasa!" Armin said, supporting his friend.

"Where's Eren? Did we win?" she asked frantically.

"No, unfortunately. Reiner managed to grab Eren when Bertholt fell on top of them," Armin said, head low. "Sorry Mikasa."

"Why didn't we send people to chase them?" Mikasa asked.

"The horses are still on the other side of the wall. It would take time to get them over it," Armin explained.

"We have Annie! Why didn't she go after them?!" she asked angrily.

The blonde walked over and sat down next to the two.

"For your information, I was blasted in the face with Bertholt's damn titan and I couldn't transform again after getting out. Besides, I was instructed to take care of that idiot," Annie said, jerking her thumb at Drayce.

Mikasa stared at her brother who had bandages wrapped all over him. The bandages on his back were bloody.

"What happened to him?" she asked incredulously.

"Bertholt's impact threw him off the wall," Annie replied.

Mikasa looked back at Annie and nodded at her, glad that the blond was at least taking care of her brother.

"I wonder if I'll ever remember," Mikasa said softly.

"Leonhart!" Levi barked. "You know the two bastards best. Where would they be headed now?"

"I would assume to towards the forest of giant trees, judging by his footprints and the shelter it provides," Annie replied, looking at the map. "But it really depends on when Reiner want to move. Most likely at sunset."

"We need to move out now. We won't have much time until they start moving. All soldiers, get up! The hunt is on," Levi shouted.

Suddenly, someone grabbed Levi's foot, causing him to almost kick Hange. He sighed in annoyance.

"What is it this time shitty glasses?" he asked annoyed.

All Hange could do was point. Levi's eyes followed her finger but he saw nothing.

"He's gone," he said. Hange nodded in response.

"What?" Annie asked whirling around.

"He's fucking gone! He was just here a moment ago!" Levi fumed angrily, stomping over to where Drayce used to be at.

'Oh no,' Annie thought.


	22. Chapter 21

**A/N: Merry Christmas guys!** ** **If you guys don't celebrate Christmas, well hope you guys are having a great day!** As promised, this is my gift to you all, an additional chapter. I put some slight fluff at the end so hope you guys enjoy. Happy reading!**

* * *

 **S.N: Sorry guys but real quick, while I was writing the last segment of this chapter, I was listening to a song called Take Back the Night by Tryhardninja. (Don't judge me please :P) I would recommend listening to it when reading the last segment and also, I just think it's a good song in general. I didn't time it to my story but screw planning so forgive me if some things seem out of place with the song. :P  
**

Eren's eyes slowly opened. He felt terrible, he was having the worst headache. He tried moving his hands, but he couldn't. His eyes shot open as panic overtook him. His hands were gone and in their place were two steaming stumps. In shock, he almost fell of the tree branch he was on.

"Whoa there," Ymir said, yanking the boy back with a semi regenerated hand.

"Ymir?! Where are we? What happened?" Eren asked frantically.

In response, she nodded towards the branch in front of them. Standing on it was Bertholt and Reiner. Memories started coming back. He had lost the fight, but how?

"What did you do to me?!" Eren shouted angrily.

"Oh that was my fault. When I bit you out, I didn't take your arms into account," Reiner said sheepishly.

"Damn it," Eren muttered, raising his stump to his mouth.

"Eren, stop it. Look around you. They currently have the advantage over us right now. For one, they have gear on and you won't make it far with all the titans around us," Ymir hissed. "Best thing to do is just hang tight until something happens."

Eren slowly lowered his arm from his mouth now realising the situation. Ymir was right though. The only thing they could do was hang on for now until the Survey Corps arrived.

"Hey Reiner, a girl's dying over here. Got any water?" Ymir asked, fanning herself.

"No, sorry. We don't have any. We didn't exactly pack for this," Reiner said, arms crossed.

"Yeah, no shit," Eren muttered.

The two shifters jumped from their branch to the one Eren and Ymir were on. The branch bent slightly under their weight.

"Bertholt, Reiner, why? What is possibly so important that you kill thousands for?" Eren asked angrily.

"I'm sorry, but I can't say. We really were your friends. The worst part was we actually liked you guys. You weren't at all what we were told you were. But we had a mission to complete," Reiner said sadly. "I'm sorry."

"YOUR SORRY?! YOU THINK THAT'S GOING TO CUT IT?!" Eren screamed as he launched himself at Reiner. Bertholt edged away and found himself next to Ymir, who was smirking at the squabble.

"Ymir, do you remember who you ate to become human again?" Bertholt asked softly.

"No. I don't have any recollection. Was it a friend of yours?" Ymir asked.

"Yeah. He was like a brother to us," Bertholt said, staring at Reiner getting Eren into a headlock.

"I'm sorry I don't remember," Ymir said sincerely. "Everyday was like a never ending nightmare. I never wanted to eat anyone."

Bertholt nodded as he watched Reiner knock out the brunette shifter and drag him towards them.

"Guys, look behind you," Reiner said as he set Eren down onto the branch.

The two shifters turned to see what Reiner saw. Green flares were streaking out from the forest top. The Survey Corps was nearing. Reiner tossed Bertholt a length of rope before tying Eren to his own back.

"We need to leave now. We can't afford to wait till sunset. Time isn't on our side right now," Reiner said, fastening the knots.

"Right! Ymir, get on. We need to leave," Bertholt said.

"Are you just going to implicitly trust me?" she smirked.

"You're the only one that understands what will happen," Reiner pointed out. "So yes, we are going to implicitly trust you."

"I'm not leaving. Not without Krista," Ymir said.

"We can't! We don't have enough time!" Reiner argued.

"My titan is the most suited for the job. Besides, I can easily swipe Eren from you and ruin your little escape plan," Ymir countered.

Bertholt sighed and waved his hand towards Ymir. "Don't take to long."

Smirking, Ymir jumped from the branch and bit her hand.

* * *

"Hey guys! Did you see that?" Connie shouted.

"Yeah! Lighting!" Sasha shouted. "That must mean someone transformed!"

Suddenly, Ymir's titan materialized in front of the recruits, scaring half of them.

"Hey ugly! You scared us! What's going on?" Connie shouted.

All Ymir did was look him in the face.

"What's going on? Why is she looking at us?" Armin wondered.

"Ymir! I'm so glad you're alright!" Krista shouted coming up. "You're-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Ymir leaped forward, jaws opened and snapped down, eating Krista. Before anyone could react, she turned tail and fled. Jean, the first to recover, fired his hooks forward.

"Come on guys! Her loyalties have changed!" the boy shouted to the rest of the shocked soldiers. Seeing their looks, he sighed. "Was I seriously the only one that saw this coming?"

A second bolt of lightning struck down indicating someone else transformed, most likely Reiner.

Ymir looked back to see the troops still motionless. She smiled and bounded out the forest, landing onto Reiner's titan form. Carefully picking Krista out of her mouth, she partially ejected herself from her titan so she could talk.

"Krista!" Ymir shouted.

"Ymir, what's going on?" Krista asked fearfully.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I had to. They said I would be pardoned if I brought you along. I'm so sorry, but please, save me!" Ymir begged.

"Ymir, don't you remember what I said? I'll always side with you," Krista said happily. "You're living for yourself now."

"Uh guys, we have a problem," Bertholt says nervously.

* * *

"Come on, their moving! We need to get out of this forest now!" Levi ordered.

The Scouts put on a burst of speed, maneuvering around the trees, preparing for the inevitable battle. With a burst of light, the Scouts exited the forest, but something was wrong. Reiner wasn't moving. His titan form was looking at someone in front of him, blocking their way. The Scouts moved to the side and their jaws dropped. It was Drayce. The entire place was stone quiet. His skeletal arm was holding his katana, his eyes glowing red. Annie tried to move towards him but Levi held her back, shooting her a look.

"So." Drayce said. "Here we meet again. Who would've ever thought that you two, of all people, were the biggest threats to quote on quote humanity."

Bertholt shifted uncomfortably. Even Reiner wasn't so sure about what was going to happen. He knew he should move but he couldn't. He was rooted to his spot. Drayce sheathed his sword.

"Do you know how much pain you've caused all of us? All the death and destruction? I never asked for this damned fate," Drayce hissed, pointing at the traitors. "Six years ago, me and my friends died in that hellhole. I wasn't even myself when I came out."

"Your twisted experiments made me, a goddamn _**monster**_ ," he snarled.

Annie frowned. Something was off. The way he said monster, his voice was layered, not even sounding like his own. It was deeper, as if someone was speaking through Drayce.

" _ **You killed my friends, destroyed my family's memories, my HUMANITY,"**_ he screamed in the same warped voice. " _ **And now you will pay for everything you caused."**_

A red aura suddenly surrounded the mutant. The aura flowed upwards into a shapeless figure. Then it began taking form. It was humanoid, it's arms were thick and muscular, fingers ending with sharp claws. The eyes were made of flames, a jagged grin formed. Horns protruded from the side of the thing's head. It laughed a cold heartless laugh before dispersing into the air. Drayce screamed and steam jettisoned from his entire body. The flesh began layering back onto his injured arm. His dark steel claws shot out of his hands.

The sky turned red, black bolts of lightning continuously struck down onto Drayce and the most terrifying thing anyone has ever seen began to form. Muscle and bones layered on, dark steel plates jutted out from various places, offering protection. Demonic wings sprouted from the back of the titan. A tail appeared, ending in a razor sharp point. His feet were like that of a bird's now, talons clearly razor sharp. Spikes sprouted from his knees, elbows, and shoulders. His eyes were made of flames, teeth composed of jagged dark steel pieces. Horns erupted from the side of his head.

The entire picture was straight up demonic. Drayce's titan no longer resembled his previous forms. Claws slid out from in between his knuckles, jagged but deadly as ever. He raised his head to the sky and roared. The cry sent shivers down every single person's spine. Years of rage, resentment, and sadness could be heard within the primal roar.

" _ **At last, I'm free,"**_ he said. " _ **Hundreds of years ago, your kind killed me. Surely you would remember me, Reiner Braun? The monster that started the great titan war from the ancient stories."**_

Everyone was frozen with fear of what he might do. Annie couldn't believe her eyes. Her boyfriend was the host of the earth devil. The demon chuckled as he squeezed his hand into a fist.

" _ **He was the perfect host. So full of anger and sadness for me to feed off of. All because you caused it,"**_ he continued. " _ **I sincerely thank you all but all good things must come to an end!"**_

With that, he flapped his powerful wings and flew towards Reiner. Reiner raised his arms and charged towards Drayce. At the last moment, Drayce pulled up and grabbed Reiner's shoulder with his talons. His armor easily shattered under the crushing force. Ymir grabbed Bertholt and Krista, wisely leaping off Reiner.

Drayce completely lifted Reiner off the ground before slamming him back down. Placing a foot on Reiner's chest, he began to rain blow after blow onto his head. Picking Reiner back up, he slammed him into the ground several more times, all the while laughing with sadistic joy. Reiner threw several measly punches but it didn't even seem to faze him. Even Ymir's powerful jaws couldn't penetrate the skin. Annie almost felt bad for Reiner, but she had a job to do.

"All troops, prepare to engage the Armored and Victory Titan," Levi ordered. "Leonhart, now!"

Annie leaped from the tree she was on and with a flash of lightning, she transformed.

'Drayce, I know you're still in there. Please, come back,' Annie inwardly begged as she charged at him.

Her hardened fist slammed into his back and he immediately recoiled in pain. Black jets of steam shot out from where Annie had punched him. Drayce whipped his head around, seeing Annie's hardened fist.

" _ **I see. You possess the ability to harden into lucindia. You may be a formidable opponent,"**_ he growled.

Drayce clambered off Reiner, turning to face Annie. Claws slid out from his hand and he charged. She went for a low kick but Drayce jumped over it. Curling into a ball, he lashed out with his tail taking a stab at Annie in midair. Sidestepping, she brought down both fists on top of Drayce's back. Another roar of pain was elicited from him as the black steam erupted from his back. Pinning him to the ground, she threw a punch at his face. Dodging, Drayce grabbed her shoulders and slammed her to the floor.

Raising a clawed hand to stab down, he suddenly froze. His hand twitched, eyes momentarily reverting to gold and then back to red. This gave Annie enough time to prepare for his strike but she barely managed to dodge the punch. The claws landed just inches from her face, kicking up rubble. The pebbles on the ground were vibrating.

'Vibrations?' Annie thought.

Apparently, Drayce had sensed it as well. He turned his head to see an entire hoard of titans lead by Erwin, rushing towards them. He growled in frustration.

" _ **You mortals just don't know when to quit, do you?"**_ Drayce hissed.

' _No they don't, and neither do you,' a voice spoke in his mind._ A voice he didn't expect to hear ever again.

" _ **Ymir Fritz,"**_ he growled. " _ **You backstabbing bitch. I gave you the power of titans! You could've ruled this world with me at my side."**_

' _That was never going to happen,' she said laughing softly._

Suddenly, Drayce's head explodes with pain. He roars and grips his head, squeezing his eyes shut. Annie looks on with terror. His forehead was branded with a blinding white sigil. The sky directly above them swirls into a spiral and opens up.

"What the.." Levi wonders, as he stares into the sky.

The Scouts all freeze and stare at the supernatural phenomenon. Energy swirls in the center and it steadily grows larger and larger. Within a minute, the humongous white orb easily overtakes Drayce in size. With a humongous crash, a beam struck down on both Annie and Drayce. The force was like a small bomb of supernatural energy. Scouts and titans alike were blown away. Waves of energy rolled from the pair of shifters. The roars could still be heard from Drayce as the world fades to white.

* * *

Annie blinks, rubbing her eyes. She turns her head slowly and looks around. It couldn't be. The tree, the field, and the walls were the same as when they were in the crystal, but something felt wrong. It felt cold and empty. Fog surrounded the entire area, the tree was dead, branches stripped of all the leaves. Strangest of all, the moon was up, like it was night time. A small chuckle came from behind her. She turned to the tree and her heart dropped to her stomach. Drayce now sat slumped against the trunk, eyes glowing red.

"Hello Annie. Getting deja vu?" he asked grinning crazily, eyes glinting in the moonlight.

Getting up, he limped towards her, his eyes never leaving her's. The red aura still surrounded him. The fog moved around him and swirled and condensed. Humanoid forms began to crawl out of the fog, contorted faces were plastered on their heads, capturing their screams. About ten or so of these creature also began to advance on her.

"Drayce, stop," Annie said shakily, taking a step back.

"What? This is what we are. Monsters. You've killed and so have I, what's the difference?" Drayce asked, tilting his head, taking a step forward.

"No, we aren't. We changed. We can end this war," Annie said.

"Are you sure? How did it go? Was it wars that make monsters or monsters that make wars? But that doesn't matter. Wasn't this what you wanted?" he asked.

"I never wanted this," she screamed back at him, tears starting to stream down her face.

"Aww, are you crying now? Do you want your mommy?" he sneered, his red eyes never wavering.

"Shut up!" she cried. "Just please, stop."

Annie collapsed onto the floor and curled into a ball, eyes shut, hands clamping her ears shut, desperate to block out the voices. The creatures continued to advance and as one reached out to grab her, it shrieked and recoiled, hand smoking and slowly dissipating.

' _Stand up,'_ a woman's voice commanded.

Annie stared at the dissipating creature in shock. What was going on. Drayce had a look of rage on his face.

' _You must bring him back. Hurry, my presence is restricted here. I won't be able to hold of his darkness for long. Go now!' the voice urged._

Getting up, she watched as a bubble surrounded her. As she advanced, the creatures pounded on the shield, wailing and screaming, unable to get to her.

"Drayce. You have to stop and remember who you are," she shouted over the sounds of the creatures. "Your friends need you."

"I know who I am," he hissed. "And they can die for all I care."

"You made a promise! Don't you remember? At Trost, you promised that you would always come back. The Drayce I know doesn't break his promises," she shouted.

She could see him falter, his sneer turning into a look of confusion. Taking this chance, she launched another memory at him.

"What about after Stohess? In the crystal, you told me that I person should only be judged on what they want to be. What about you? Do you want to be a monster?" she continued, walking towards him.

A look of confliction spanned his face. He fell to his knees, locked in a battle of voices in his mind. He cried out in pain and confusion. Taking the chance, Annie dashed to him.

"No, stay away," he croaked weakly.

Pulling him towards her, she kissed him. For all she cared, the entire place could explode. It was just her and him. Taking her lips off of his, she looked into his eyes.

"Please, come back. You helped me recover now let me help you," she said softly.

She could see it working. His eyes slowly changed back to the gold color. He nodded weakly, cupping her face with his hands and wiped the tears away from her face with his thumb. Standing up, he gave a roar of defiance and the aura of red along with fog figures exploded with a pained cry. Waves of yellow energy rolled of their bodies as they traveled back to the hellish reality waiting for them.


	23. Chapter 22

**A/N: Hi guys! Happy New Years! So umm, I have something to admit. While I was writing this, my evil self broke out of his cage. Again. Hope this doesn't cause to much distress...** _*Evil me pops head into the room._ **There you are! When I get my hands on you I'm gonshjbhvskdbvkhsdbvkhsbdkshbvks Sorry, that was him! Damn it, he got away again. Anyways, read this chapter while I hunt him down.** _*Shoulders a rocket launcher._ **Be back soon.**

Levi vigorously shook his head as the energy beam subsided. His ears were ringing. The force had blown many of the soldiers away. Some of them were still trying to recover, but it was not the time to rest. Raising his head, he could see Drayce's non demonic titan form sprawled next to Annie's.

The horde of titans lead by Erwin was still a matter to be dealt with. The initial blast had knocked the majority of them down. The tall lanky shifter had managed to climb back onto his friend, the Armored Titan. Ymir was still huddled around Historia. Checking to make sure she was safe, Ymir bounded towards a dazed Connie and plopped Historia down next to him.

" _ **Keep her safe or I'll rip your head off,"**_ she growled at the bald boy.

Connie, still nauseous, shook his head. With that Ymir leaped towards Bertholt, fangs bared.

"Reiner, protect us!" Bertholt yelled.

His friend raised both hands to his neck, forming a protective barrier between Ymir and Bertholt. Eren, now fully conscious was struggling to free himself from the rope that tied him to the tall boy. A familiar zipping sound and a pricking on Ymir shoulder indicated someone was coming. Ignoring it, she began to pry at Reiner's finger. Mikasa landed next to her, staring in between the cracks of Reiner's finger. From inside, Bertholt looked back at Mikasa's steely grey eyes.

"Bertholt, give Eren back," she growled.

"We thought you were our friends," Jean said coming up next to Mikasa. "Were all those years just an act?"

"Reiner, Bertholt, why?" Sasha whimpered. "We looked up to you. Why would you guys kill so many people?"

"Everything that we've been through, it was an entire lie?" George asked, appearing out of nowhere.

"STOP," Bertholt screamed. "We really did think of you as our friends. We got attached to you guys, that was never supposed to happen. None of us wanted to kill anyone!"

"If you really did think of us as friends, then give Eren back," Mikasa said coldly.

"I'm sorry, but we can't. You don't know what will happen if we go back empty handed. We have mission to finish," Bertholt shouted, anger rising.

* * *

Drayce managed to get up although he was still dazed. He nearly fell over when he stood up. He could feel his energy rapidly draining. Beside him, Annie leapt back up to her feet.

" _ **Go…get Eren. I'll hold them back,"**_ he growled before charging towards the oncoming titans.

Annie turned and began to sprint towards Reiner, determined to crush them.

"Uh guys, I have a feeling that we should get off him as soon as possible," William shouted.

The rest of his friends got up to see an enraged Annie charging at them. Behind her was Drayce, going toe to toe against the titan horde, keeping them at bay.

"Yeah, what gave it away? It couldn't be the fact that Annie is running straight towards us," Mable said sarcastically.

Grabbing her friends, Ymir made a mental note to hang out with the girl more often before jumping off.

'Hang on Bertholt! This is going to get rough," Reiner thought, teeth gritted.

Annie hardened her fist and drove forwards, shattering Reiner's chest armor. Stumbling back, Reiner ran and tried to ram her in retaliation.

'Annie, why?! Why did you turn? You know your joining a losing fight!' Reiner thought as he fought his former friend.

Throwing a left hook, she smashed it into his face, causing him to stumble.

'Bertholt, sorry about this!' Reiner thought as he grabbed his friend.

Opening his maw, he dropped the two teens inside before closing his mouth.

"What the hell?! He just ate Bertholt and Eren," Jean said shocked at the action.

"No, he's keeping them safe. It would leave Reiner free to use his hands while forcing Annie on the defensive," Mikasa said, glaring at the two shifter, locked in combat.

'Shit, this is bad,' Annie thought as she raised her fist in a defensive position. 'Both Bertholt and Eren are in Reiner's mouth. I can't risk it.'

Dodging a second punch, a stinging came from her ankle. Looking down, she saw a small 2 meter, biting her. Looking back behind her, she saw a group of titans pinning down Drayce, ripping and biting into him as he thrashed and roared.

"Go, just fight!" Jean shouted. "We'll go help him!"

A fist smashed in to her gut as Reiner took advantage of the distraction. Doubling over, he took the advantage and swept her legs out from underneath her, giving them time to run towards the titans.

* * *

Back at the horde, Drayce wasn't do so well. The titans had tired him out, giving them the opportunity to down him. The teeth soon came afterwards, tearing into his flesh. Tearing off an arm, another skeletal one rocketed out of his socket, punching an unfortunate titan into oblivion.

Suddenly, a titan sailed over his head, landing with a crash. Reiner! The shifter began to ram the titans out of the way as he attempted to forge his way through.

'Reiner, you aren't the only one fighting for a cause. You fight to finish your mission, but I fight for the future of these people. Stepping foot on this island was your BIGGEST MISTAKE,' Drayce thought angrily.

Adrenaline surged through his veins. With an earth shattering roar, he shoved all the titans out of his way, electricity crackling around his titan form. Yellow eyes glowing, he began to surge forward and leapt. At that moment, Reiner knew they were screwed. An arcing bolt of blue lightning struck down, frying the titans around Drayce. Steam surged from his titan as he shifted into his final form. A dark steel hand shot out of the steam, crushing a titan's face with ease. When Drayce finally stepped out, Reiner's blood ran cold.

His entire form was made of dark steel covering his entire body like it was skin. It shimmered and flowed like it was alive, as if they had a mind of its own. He watched as the metal started to form protrusions at the knuckle. His claws. His eyes glowed like molten gold, firey and full of anger. The mindless titans bit uselessly at him. He began to walk towards Reiner, eventually breaking into a run. Reiner, now panicking shoved the titans out of his way in attempt to escape Drayce's wrath.

It was too easy. Grabbing Reiner's arm, he effortlessly tore it off, as casually as he would've pulled bread apart. Stabbing his claws into Reiner, he lifted him off the ground before kicking him away. Walking back towards him, he began to force open Reiner's mouth, shattering his jaw plate. Reaching inside, he grabbed a wet and slimy Eren attached to Bertholt. Bertholt screamed as soon as he saw the 20 meter behemoth before him. Very carefully, Drayce cut the bonds tying Eren to Bertholt. Ymir, landing on Drayce shoulder, took Eren and began to bound away, dropping him off at Mikasa.

" _ **Reiner, it's over. You failed,"**_ Drayce growled, his adrenaline rush fading.

Shaking his head, Reiner slammed a foot into Drayce's chest, pushing him off of him. Bertholt flew from his grasp and back onto Reiner as Drayce collapsed from his fatigue. Snatching up a titan, he threw it. Breathing heavily, Drayce watched as it landed in front of Ymir. Grabbing one after another, he launched them at the remaining members of the Survey Corps. One knocked Eren and Mikasa of their horse. Another landed in front of Armin and Jean. One decomposing 2 meter had pinned Rachel as a 10 meter approached her.

'He's throwing the damned things now?' Annie thought as she sprinted towards the remaining horde of titans.

The remaining titans had began to advance on the scattered soldiers. Annie began to smash as many heads as she could.

"Reiner, we need to leave now," Bertholt shouted. "If we don't now, we won't make it later,"

Grunting, Reiner began to hobble away as fast as he could. Drayce watched tiredly as the two ran away.

'Not yet…Get back here you bastards,' he thought, gritting his teeth.

He took one step in their direction and fell with a crash. He felt like punching himself. He failed, he had let them escape.

"It's not over you know," Landon spoke. "Your friends still need you."

It was true. Drayce turned to look at the bleak situation. A titans was advancing on his friends, many veteran soldiers were falling victim to the titans. Even Erwin was incapacitated with the loss of his arm.

"You can go after them, an improbable victory or you can do what you know you can do. Save your friends," Landon reminded him. "You know what you must do."

'The damn titans keep coming,' Annie thought as she slaughtered another 5 meter.

She would be overwhelmed soon if she didn't act fast. Even Ymir was having trouble helping her. Armin was trying to fend an oncoming titan of with his sword, trying to protect Jean who was unconscious. Eren and Mikasa were just sitting there from what Annie could see. Soldiers were getting eaten left and right. At this rate, then entire Survey Corps would be eaten and there was no stopping it.

* * *

Suddenly, a screech echoed through the battlefield. Every single titan turns to the source of the noise. Drayce's titan stands hunched. He begins to limp towards the mass of titans but something was off. Cracks started to appear on his titan, yellow light emitting from it. The cracks began to spread across his entire form.

"No," William whispered face paling.

Annie just looked on with curiosity. Drayce just looked at her, his face full of guilt. He continued to limp towards the titans. By now, his entire body was emitting the yellow light.

"I'm going to miss them," he said.

"To tell the truth, I never really felt any sentiment or regrets when I died," Landon replied.

It was a childish question but Drayce asked anyway.

"How did it feel like?" he asked softly.

"Almost like falling asleep," Landon assured him.

"It was a pleasure to meet you," Drayce said.

"Likewise my friend, likewise," Landon returned.

He stopped right in the middle of the battlefield and fell to his knees. He looked straight at Annie and smiled sadly.

" _ **I'm sorry,"**_ he said softly before closing his eyes.

Annie's eyes widened as she understood what he did a second before it happened. Drayce's entire body exploded. The yellow light contained within his body washed over the entire field. Titans disintegrated at the touch of the light. Both Annie and Ymir were expelled from their titan forms. A wave of warmth and comfort passed through them as the light washed over them. Amass the entire explosion, a broken figure fell from the sky and rolled to a stop.

Drayce watched as birds flew overhead in the sky. They were free, something he never had the luxury of being. His eyes shifted towards the sun as he basked in its warmth. Annie ran up to his broken body, tears starting to run down her face.

"You fucking idiot! Why?!" she sobbed.

"Annie, you know I would do it again if it meant the people I cared about would be safe," he said.

William, George, Mable and Rachel squatted down next to him.

"Fucking idiot," Rachel muttered, wiping her tears.

George, Mable, and William didn't speak at all. They watched as the yellow light began to run down from his eyes and face to the rest of his body. The rest of the 104th began to crouch down next to him. Levi looked down on him. His chest constricted as he looked at his dying cousin.

With a glowing hand, Drayce reached inside his coat and pulled out an old picture. To everyone's surprise, he gave it to Mikasa. She took the picture and felt tears form at her eyes.

"You were never alone. You never will be," he said. "Your family is always with you, whether they're here or not."

Eren held onto his adopted sister tighter, tears forming in his own eyes.

"Eren, use your powers well. You must learn to use the Coordinate," he said. "The memories will guide you. From the moment I saw you fight, I knew everything would be alright. You are their last hope."

Annie cradled him in her arms, still crying.

"Please, don't go, don't go," Annie cried.

Drayce reached up and wiped her tears, studying her feature carefully before chuckling.

"The world isn't fair Annie. Why would it care about what you want?" he laughed and with that, his hand went limp and fell to his side.

The yellow streaking lights on his body faded as the last of his life was drained from him. His heartbeat faded beneath Annie's hand. Historia was crying, hugging Ymir. Eyes were being wiped. Drayce was right. The world didn't care about what they wanted. It was cruel.

"Leonhart, take Ackerman's body and put it in a cart to prepare for a burial," Levi said heavily. "The rest of you, fall in."

Wiping her eyes, she stood up, his body in her arms and walked off. The rest of them walked after her, sadness filling the air. Levi bent down and picked up Drayce katana. Inspecting it, he finally slung it over his own back and trudged back towards the rest of his squad.


	24. Chapter 23

**A/N: Regarding last chapter, yes, I had planned Drayce's death from the start. (And there goes half my readers... XD) It was something that I was set on doing but see if you can find a very obvious Easter Egg in this chapter. I'll let you theorize about where it leads but for now, I'm not saying anything more. ;) (Spoiler Alert, it has nothing to do with the training.) Happy reading!**

It rains the day they bury him. The coffin is slowly lowered into the ground. Annie watches as the wet dirt piles onto the coffin's smooth wooden surface.

' _Why would it care about what you want?'_

His last words reverberated in her head. It didn't, it never had. The world never gave anyone what they wanted. Her father's words came back to her.

" _Don't let anyone get close to you! They'll only hurt you."_

She had let him in, and he had hurt her. Broken her heart, shattered it into a million pieces. Never again, she wouldn't let anyone in. It was a mistake.

"...and may he rest in peace with the lord above," Minister Nick finished.

Levi stepped forward with a slim package. Unraveling it, Drayce's katana came into view. Taking it in both hands, he handed it to Annie. Taking the heavy blade in both hands, she stabbed it into the dirt. Stepping back, she looked at it. He would've appreciated the gesture.

Immediately after the funeral, Levi locked himself in his office, most likely with the company of alcohol. Mikasa excused herself to her room and refused to let anyone in, not even Eren. Annie walked into the forest and began to train, smashing her fists as hard and as fast as she could into the trees. Tears threatened to make a reappearance. She slammed her fist into the tree one last time. Blood and steam trickled from her battered knuckles. The broken skin knit itself back together, leaving no trace of an injury besides the blood.

As curfew approached, Annie began to make her way back to the castle. Instead of the usual laughter that would normally be heard, it was replaced by silence. Annie made her way to the canteen, hoping to get a drink of water before she went to bed. She pushed open the door and was welcomed by an unusual sight. Levi was sitting on a by himself at the center table, candle light flickering. A cup of steaming tea was in front of him. Levi glanced over at his new company. He didn't bother asking where she had come from, the bloody knuckles gave it away.

"Wash your hands and then sit down," he said plainly after taking a sip of tea.

Tucking in a loose strand of hair, she made her way towards the kitchen. She let the cold tap water run down her hands, washing the blood away. It stained the water a reddish hue. Closing the faucet, she made her way back to the captain. Yanking a chair from another table, she plopped down across from him.

"I salvaged this before his burial," he said.

Taking a small piece of cloth out from his pocket, he pushed it towards her. It was his patch. Taking the piece of stitched fabric in her hand, she ran her fingers across the Wings of Freedom, studying it before tucking it away in her breast pocket. Conversation over took the room but no words were spoken. One could tell what the other was saying just based on expression. Although he would never show or admit it, he was deeply impacted by his death.

"We begin Eren and Ymir's training tomorrow. You are dismissed for the night," he said stoutly before standing up and leaving.

Annie stood up and walked to the kitchen. Grabbing a cup, she began to fill it with hot water. Taking his patch out of her pocket, she began to inspect it as she sipped her drink. She recognized the small smiley face on it. He had drawn it himself out of boredom but Levi aired out his lungs about it. He was supposed to wash it off when he got back but now he will never get the chance to do so. Draining the rest of the water, Annie made her way back to her room. Crawling into the sheets, she placed his patch on the bedside table. Yes, she would keep this memory of him. She would keep it with her for the remaining years of her life until she could be with him again. Blowing out the candle, she rolled over and let sleep over take her.

* * *

"What do you want Hange?" Annie asks as she pushes open the door to the scientist's lab.

It was 8 in the morning and Hange insisted that she stopped by her office. The scientist scrambled around, tidying loose papers before beckoning the girl in. Dark circles were visible beneath her eyes.

"There is a theory that I've been working on, where the titans came from. I promised Connie that I would look into it when we got back. I found some shocking results but I want to confirm it with you before I inform Erwin," Hange said.

"Seems alright. What do you want to know?" Annie askes.

"Take a look of this sketch of the titan we found at Connie's village. Now compare it to this picture here," Hange said. "Don't you notice something similar?"

Looking over the family portrait and the titan, a feeling of guilt washed over her.

"The woman and the titan look alike," she answered before shoving the drawings back to Hange.

"Exactly! Now this is where my theory comes in and I want you to confirm whether this is true or not." Hange requested. "Are titans humans?"

A long pause filled the room before Annie answered with a nod. Poor Connie. He would be devastated to know his family were turned into titans. She pushed the thoughts out of her mind before turning her attention back to Hange.

"How does one turn into a titan then?" Hange asked, pencil and notepad at the ready.

"A person only turns into a titan when injected with another titan's spinal fluid. This applies to Connie's case," she said.

"What about titan shifters? How does someone become one?" Hange asked keenly.

"If a mindless titan were to ingest a titan shifter's spinal fluid, they would become a titan shifter. Either that or if a titan shifter dies because the curse of Ymir or they get killed, then the power transfers to a newborn," Annie answers.

"What is the Curse of Ymir?" Hange asked scribbling and turning a page.

"When a person acquires the power of titans, their lifespan is shortened to 13 more years before they die. In case you were wondering, I have 6 years left before I can die. Now may I please go? I'm already late," Annie asks annoyed.

"Uhh yes, you can. Sorry for taking your time," Hange replied, slightly taken back by her subtly morbid statement.

Annie got up stiffly and walked out the door, leaving the scientist in her thought. Hmm, she would have to find a way to explain all this to Erwin and Connie later but she couldn't help but feel that she was forgetting something. Levi, Eren, Ymir, and the rest of the squad were already waiting for her when Annie arrived at the south courtyard. It was a large barren area behind the castle, almost like the training grounds from when they were cadets.

"Leonhart, your late," Levi barked.

"The scientist held me back a while," Annie muttered.

Levi rolled his eyes. He would personally have a word with Shitty Glasses to make sure that her discoveries would have to wait a bit.

"First, we need to make sure that Yeager here can transform and be in control 100% of the time. Her on the other hand knows how. Am I correct?" Levi asked, nodding at Ymir.

Ymir nodded and rolled her eyes.

"Can I just sit this out for now?" she drawled. "I already know how to do this. It's fucking boring."

Levi waved his hand. Ymir smirked and retreated to the sidelines.

"The first thing you want to do is keep all your emotions at bay. Anger or sadness will easily overwhelm you when you transform causing you to lose control. Keep your goal in mind. Be very clear on what you want to achieve," Annie instructed.

Eren nodded and began to back up. Once he was a substantial distance away, he lifted his hand to his mouth to bite down.

"Wait! That's fucking gross. Go get a knife or something," Levi ordered.

Holding out a hand, Oluo handed him a small knife. He tossed the blade to Eren who fumbled with it before catching it.

"Alright, in 3, 2, 1," Levi counted before shielding himself.

With a straight face, Eren yanked the knife across his palm. A brilliant yellowish orange bolt of lightning struck down on Eren. Flesh, bones and muscle appeared from thin air as it formed the 15 meter beast that was the Attack Titan. With bated breath, everyone waited for a response from the boy. Blinking several times, he finally gave a thumbs up indicating success.

"WAIT!" Hange screamed from across the courtyard. "I forgot today was test day! What did I miss?"

"Not much. We just started. Eren learned how to transform and be in control," Eld informed her.

Poor Moblit was straggling behind her, toting a mass of papers along with Hange's notebook and pencil.

"Squad leader, you really need to slow down," Moblit begged.

Annie felt sorry for the man. If it was her, she would've gone mad from spending so much time with the titan crazed woman. She wondered how he could've put up with her for so long. Most likely with the help of alcohol.

"So Eren! Back at Stohess, you turned into a 17 meter class with flames and red glowing streaks lining your body. Do you think you can do it again?" Hange asked excitedly.

Eren shrugged. To be honest, Annie herself wasn't sure how he did it. Marley hadn't gotten far enough along the curriculum to explain how it was done.

"Hange, to tell the truth, I don't even know myself. It was most likely triggered by his rage at the time. He probably also needs a purpose to do so as well," Annie answered.

"Hmm, Drayce seemed to know how to do it. His transformation triggered when he went after Reiner," Hange said thoughtfully. "He was able to perform that final attack in that form to save us."

Annie flinched when hearing it. It brought back a flood of unpleasant memories. Upon noticing this, Petra elbowed Hange hard.

"OW! Oh sorry. What did the attack do though? Why did it vaporize the titans and not us?" Hange asked cautiously.

"The user chooses what they want to eliminate. Drayce chose to eliminate the titans. The attack drains the user of their life force, leaving them to die after the attack is performed," Annie said, voice cracking. "But I doubt Eren could do it. It's something that is tailored specifically to the Victory Titan."

"All right, you. Your turn," Levi ordered, pointing to Ymir.

Groaning, the freckled shifter stood up. Grabbing the fallen knife, she quickly slashed her hand with it. Another bolt of lightning appeared as Ymir shifted into her 5 meter form.

"Ymir's titan is called the Jaw Titan. Most notable for their jaw strength," Annie sighs.

"What could've gave that away?" Levi asked sarcastically.

"We should get some measurements on her teeth! They're fascinating! I've never seen a titan with sharp teeth," Hange exclaimed while Moblit sketched Ymir's titan, taking note of her intense jaw power.

"We should start with something small. Ymir, please demonstrate what you can bite through," Hange requested.

With a growl, Ymir bounded over to a relatively thick tree and bit down, easily splintering it. Hange squealed in joy, jumping and clapping like a child.

"Can you bite through stone?" Moblit wondered.

" _ **Can. Take more effort,"**_ Ymir growled.

"You can talk as well. Not only is your mouth a weapon, it is able to use the tongue to speak," Hange noted. "Eren's titan, on the other hand is pure power. Every part of him is made for battle, hence the name Attack Titan. Am I right Annie?"

Annie nodded in response.

"My titan specializes in speed and endurance. I can run for long time without tiring. Reiner's titan as you saw is mostly based on defense over offense. His armor hinders sharp movement but allows him to ram things with devastating power if he gets enough speed," Annie debriefs.

"Hmm, I wonder if you can talk. Your mouth is fairly regular. We should test that later. Oh Gunther, can you get Ymir here? We need to take some measurements on her titan."

"Hey Ymir, go have your measurements done with Moblit and Hange," Gunther yelled. "Levi wants to train Eren in titan combat."

Nodding, Ymir scooches to the sidelines and Annie takes her place on the field. Taking her ring from Levi, she puts it on and slashes her thumb. Yet another bolt of lightning strikes down as the familiar warm, sticky flesh cocoon wraps around her.

"Be careful of your fights. We don't want you to rip each other out of your napes. We still have the rest of the day," Eld instructs.

' _This is going to be a long day,'_ Annie sighs as she turns to face Eren.

* * *

"Okay stop! That's enough. Take a break," Levi calls. "We don't need you brats killing yourselves."

Sighing in relief, Annie frees herself from her titan. She welcomes the cool air as it hits her face.

"Still not fair," Eren grumbles. "You can make swords and daggers with your crystal and all I can do is get my ass kicked."

"The world isn't fair Yeager. And to be fair, I only found out that last fight when Hange suggested it," Annie deadpans, swallowing a gulp of water.

"So here's what I gathered. Yeager, you still need to work on your punches and stance. They're sloppy. We don't need you to eat dirt everytime you attack. Continue to try and shift into your final form. Leonhart, work on the crystal protrusions. It will prove useful against the armored bastard," Levi evaluated. "Take fifteen more minutes before the last fight.

Eren slumped against the tree. It was nineteen to zero. A big fat zero. ' _What the hell is wrong with me?'_ he thought glumly to himself. ' _I pulled of the transformation once, why can't I do it again?'_

"Hell, Yeager. You're bad. How do you lose nineteen times?" Ymir asks. "Short and scary barely put effort into the last fight."

"Yeah, just watch. I'm gonna beat her," Eren retorted.

"Doubt it," Annie deadpans, walking up to them. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, let's do it," Eren says.

"Alright, last fight. Then go take a shower and come down for dinner. You guys stink," Levi said, disgusted. "Oh, one more thing. Go all out. Don't hold anything back. It's the last fight anyways. This should be fun to watch."

Rolling her eye's, Annie and Eren both transformed. Getting into her fighting stance, she turns and faces her opponent. Eren makes the first move, feigning a left hook. Annie immediately jumps to avoid the strike and in turn getting punched by Eren's right fist. Stumbling back, she curses herself for walking straight into it. Hardening her fist, a crystal protrusion forms at the bottom of her fist, a crude makeshift knife. Ramming straight into her, Eren pushes Annie back, forcing her on the defensive. A quick slash of her knife cuts Eren's hand off in retaliation.

This time, Annie rushes him, not giving Eren a chance to recover. Tackling him to the ground, she attempts to stab him with the knife.

' _No! Not yet!'_ Eren thought as he swings his legs over Annie's shoulders, grabbing her head, pulling as hard as he could.

Pushing upwards, Annie falls back, smashing Eren into the ground. Annie pushes her knife downwards, only to be met with Eren's hands, blocking the strike.

' _I will not lose to you again Annie. I have to get stronger. I have to! For the fate of humanity!'_ Eren inwardly screams.

Lightning crackles around him. His eyes glow a dangerous neon green. With a burst of strength, he throws Annie of him as blue lightning strikes down. Steam jettisoned from his new form. Hange gaped at Eren's new form. 17 meters tall, fire cloaked his body but it didn't burn him. Almost as if his body was causing the flames. Red lines outlined his blood vessels and muscle ligaments.

' _Hmm, so the brat's finally managed to pull it off. This got a whole lot more interesting,'_ Levi thought.

"STOP FOR ONE SECOND! I NEED A SKETCH OF THIS! MOBLIT, GIVE ME THE DAMN PENCIL," Hange screamed.

"Hange, they're not stopping. Better draw quickly," Petra warned.

With a ferocious roar, Eren leaped at Annie with blinding speed. As she slashed at him with her knife, Eren grabbed it. Bending and putting as much pressure as possible, the crystal cracked and broke of entirely.

' _Ah shit,'_ Annie thought.

Pouncing before she could retreat, Eren stabbed the crystal straight into her chest. Annie toppled over under both their weight. Hardening her fist, she began to punch upwards, hoping to get Eren of her. Taking her head, Eren began to pull while Annie smashed her fist into his side as hard as possible but the damage was repaired as fast as she could dish it out. With a final tug, her nape ripped open, exposing Annie to the fresh air.

"About time," she grumbled.

Eren's titan sat back on his heels and it's pilot exited in a jet of steam.

"I told you I would win," Eren crowed.

"Shut up. It's nineteen to one. Now shut up before I kick your ass again," she threatened.

"Eren! I may have figured out what triggers your transformation. When you fought at that moment, what emotion did you feel?" Hange asked, quivering with excitement.

"Umm, I just sort of felt that I had to win, so determination I guess?" Eren replied, scratching his head.

"That's it! Your determination and willpower is what causes the transformation. Think about it! Drayce transformed when the situation was at its most dire. He was determined to save us. His willpower to fight triggers it!" Hange yelled happily.

"Good job. We'll train again, same time Thursday. Don't be late. Now take a shower," Levi ordered.

"Yes sir," the shifters replied and walked off.

* * *

 ** _Unknown Location..._**

"How did it go?"

A tall woman in a white dress entered the pristine room. The other two woman bowed slightly in acknowledgement.

"It was successful my lady. Although a long rest period will be required for proper recovery now that we've completed the ritual. We've locked the power within as well," one answered.

The tall lady nodded thoughtfully before dismissing the two women besides her. The door shut noiselessly behind her as they left.

' _Soon my champion, soon,'_ she thought.


	25. Chapter 24

**A/N: Hi guys, I'm back! I apologize for taking to long to upload this but I've been working on something important for this story so please take the time to read this author's note carefully. If any of you have recently checked my bio, you will know I created a second account called "ATypicalAuthor". I will be posting this exact story to that account for a school project. Now my school doesn't allow curse words but somehow they let us watch Deadpool, like WTF? The story on "ATypicalAuthor" will have an early ending so I recommend you don't read it for spoiler's sake BUT I will continue my original plot line on THIS account's story so don't worry. Now enough of my yapping and happy reading! :)**

"Today was interesting. Went as well as it could've. Eren's finally managed to keep up with me in a fight. He still has yet to be able to master the megashift. I don't know how to teach him to use the Coordinate though. You would've been able to help," Annie says, staring at Drayce's headstone. "I wish you were here right now."

It's been a week and a half since he died. She lays down the white flower in her hands onto the foot of the gravestone. Behind her, someone clears their throat. Turning around, she sees Mikasa.

"Annie," Mikasa greets.

Annie simply nods. Crouching down next to her, Mikasa takes out the family photo from her pocket. Annie glances over at the picture. It was the same one he showed her three years ago.

"You know, sometimes he would tell me stories about you," Annie says quietly.

Mikasa turns and looks at Annie in surprise.

"Really? Must've been nice to hear them," Mikasa replies. "I don't remember a thing about growing up with him."

"He always looked after you very protectively, just like how you look after Eren. He told me a story about the day you had lost your memories," Annie said. "It was quite bitter sweet."

"Please, do you mind telling me?" Mikasa asked.

"It was when he was eight years old. His caretaker had taken him to Shiganshina's marketplace to buy food for your family. Eren had tripped over a crate and somehow managed to bring down the butcher's entire stand," Annie recounted.

"Sounds like Eren alright. He once almost tipped over a bookshelf at the bookstore once," Mikasa snorted.

"The owner became furious and had taken your arm and a cleaver, placing it on the cutting board. He was about to chop off your hand and had Drayce not put his arm on top of your's, it would've happened," Annie finished.

"So he's always been like that, even when he was a kid huh?" Mikasa asked.

"Yeah. From what he's told me," Annie answered.

"Ugh, are we becoming friends?" Mikasa asked, a disgusted look on her face.

"Never in a million years Ackerman. I still hate you. I only told you the story out of pity," Annie replied, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Hey, I'm sorry for blaming you about not caring for anyone. I guess you have a heart after all," Mikasa says.

"Whatever. Still hate your guts Ackerman," Annie calls out as she walks back towards the castle.

* * *

"My lady! It's happened!" a woman cried out as she pushed open the door.

"What! So soon?" the tall woman asked surprised putting down her quill.

"Yes! The others were there to help to perform the purification. The wings have already grown," the first woman replied.

"Have the blacksmiths begin to craft the armor," the tall woman ordered.

The lady bowed and backed out of the room. The other woman sighed and sat back down in her chair, rolling up the parchment. She ties it to a snowy white dove and tosses it out the window.

' _Time is of the essence. War is coming.'_

* * *

"Alright, everyone settle down," Levi ordered, taking a seat around a large rectangular table. "We will talk about your inadequate cleaning job later but for now, we have something to discuss."

Eren smacked his head and moaned. Levi gestured to Historia at the other end of the table, fidgeting with the hem of her dress. Ymir had a hand on her shoulder, giving her an encouraging nod.

"Umm, where do I start? My real name is Historia Reiss, not Krista Lenz as many of you may have known me." (Umm, hey guys. Not to interrupt but did Hajime Isayama come up with the name Krista Lenz because she was pure like a crystal lense? Sorry not sorry.)

 **Flashback Starts**

' _I was born and raised on a farm and as far back as I could remember, I've always been helping out. I didn't know much about my mom or dad. Dad was barely around and mom was always reading by a willow tree. She never spoke to me. I've always read stories about how loving a family was so I decided to test something one day.'_

 _Little Historia got down from the table that she was sitting at. She watched her mother walk out the house, book in hand, and the wind blowing softly in her face. She sat down at the willow tree, her hair falling down besides her face. Opening the book, she began to read. Historia began to move closer to her mother, inching her way over. Once she was in range, she threw herself onto her mother's lap. Her mom recoiled in shocked and forcefully shoved Historia aside and got up._

" _If only you hadn't been born. You were a mistake..." her mother spoke bitterly, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes._

 _Wiping the salty droplets away, she ran back into the house, leaving Historia on the grass._

' _Even though all she did was merely shove me, it was enough to make me satisfied. It was the first time she had ever spoken to me. I was always alone you see. I never had any friends. All the other kids would throw rocks at me and yelled mean things.'_

' _Several days after Wall Maria was breached, my father visited for the first time for as long as I could remember. He wanted to take me back to his home and be recognized as the heir to the throne. We didn't make it far though. We had just stepped out the door when several men dressed in black trench coats came out and surrounded us.'_

" _Well, well Mr. Reiss. What do we have here?" a man asked as he stepped out from the shadows._

 _Several other people dressed in black trench coats surrounded the trio._

" _I knew she was with you. Ya couldn't hide it for long could ya?" the man continued talking, taking out a knife._

" _I assure you that these two have no correlation to me whatsoever," Mr. Reiss replied calmly. "I don't know them."_

" _Hmph. Very well. The we shall dispose of them," the leader spoke, grabbing onto Historia's mother._

" _Wait! I swear, this child isn't mine! She isn't mine!" she screamed as the man brought the knife before her throat._

 _With the small blade pressed against her throat, her mother uttered bitterly, "If only I had the courage to-"_

 _The man dropped her body to the floor and turned to Historia. Grabbing her head, he prepared to slit her throat as well._

" _Wait." Mr. Reiss spoke. "Your name is now Krista Lenz."_

' _In exchange for my life, my father gave me a new name. A new life. When I turned twelve, I enlisted into the military and met all of you.'_

 **Flashback Ends**

A somber silence fills the room as Historia finishes her story, only to be interrupted by a banging sound on the door before it swung open. Hange staggered in rubbing her head, Moblit trailing behind her.

" Four Eyes, what is it with you and doors?" Levi asked assaperated.

"Minister Nick is dead," Hange said grimly, rubbing the back of her neck.

The effect of her words were immediate. The scraping of chairs on the floor were heard as everyone in the room stood up.

"What?! How?" Levi demanded.

Hange plopped down on a couch near the table.

"I think he was murdered actually. Me and Moblit had arrived at the scene in the morning. Two MPs were posted outside of his room. They let us examine the room but not the body but I still managed to catch a glimpse. His fingernails were gone and his throat was slit," Hange said.

"So most likely he had leaked some information that he shouldn't have," Moblit concluded.

Levi banged his fist on the table frustrated.

"So they presumably tortured him for the information then killed him," Hange summed up. "We still have no lead to what he was hiding."

"That's not true. I did manage to grab something I shouldn't have. I'm sorry Squad Leader," Moblit said sheepishly.

He reached a hand into his bag and brought out an old looking book, its the leather cover worn. They could faintly see the markings of the three goddesses the wall cultists believed in.

"Moblit, explain," Hange asked neutrally.

"We were looking around the room and this book was in a hidden compartment underneath the desk. Obviously Minister Nick didn't want anyone to find out about it. I flipped it open to this page," Moblit said, opening the book and placing it on the table.

Everyone in the room gathered around it. They stared at the picture curiously. It depicted a woman, somehow floating in the clouds. A wavy beam originating from her hands as well as three other women around her. On the ground was a crouching man, but he wasn't exactly a man. He was staring into the sky at the woman, goat horns protruding from the side of his head.

"Does this remind you of anything?" Moblit asked nervously.

Hange stared at the picture. It seemed so familiar. Where had she seen it? Suddenly, she sat ramrod straight.

"Hange, what is it?" Eren asked.

"The battle by the forest! Drayce was possessed by some kind of entity as we've all seen by the red aura that day. His titan form had horns, like a _devil_. Just like the man in this picture," Hange said.

Devil, as in the earth devil. Annie's mind whirred. If the stories were true, then the woman in the picture and her mind was...Ymir Fritz!

"I know this story!" she exclaimed suddenly. "How could I forget?"

All eyes were on her now. She studied the ancient words on the book. She could recognize a few symbols here and there. She scanned the next page and what she found confirmed her suspicion.

"Care to explain?" Levi asked.

"When I was a child, my mother used to tell this story to me, the creation of the titan shifters. The woman in the picture is Ymir Fritz, the original Founding Titan but what people didn't know was that there used to be a titan shifter before her, the Devil Titan," Annie recalled. "His name was never specified but we always called him the earth devil. Ymir made a deal with him to share his power, but he betrayed her, turning on the nation."

"It says here that this scene depicts the battle between Ymir and the earth devil. She used her powers to sever his soul into two seperate titans. The Attack and Victory Titan," Moblit noted, squinting at the symbols. "That's why those are the two titans to only be able to megashift. They can apparently tap into the devil's lost power."

Annie stared at the man surprised.

"You can read that?" she asked, slightly taken aback.

"Yeah. My parents were believers of the goddesses. They insisted that I learn the ancient text when I was a child," Moblit replied sheepishly.

"Change of plans. Moblit, work with Annie to see if you can decode the rest of the book and find any information you can about the history between them," Hange ordered.

"Yes Squad Leader!" Moblit replied. "Come on. Let's go to the lab."

"Connie, prepare your horse. We're returning to Ragako village," Hange said, a glint in her eyes.

At her words, Connie's head perked up.

"Did you find out what happened?" the boy asked anxiously.

Hange returned a nod. It would be explained once they arrived at the village. "The rest of you are to remain behind and look after the castle."

"Recruits Gaylent, Krest, Kent, and Green. Come with me," Levi ordered. "Petra is in temporary command. Eld, Gunther, and Oulo, go with Hange."

The chairs scrapped as they were pushed back into place. Everyone filed out the room. The mutants followed Levi down the hall, their suspicion growing by the second. Finally, Levi pushed open a door, gesturing for them to enter. The four filed into the office, immediately noticing Erwin at the desk and saluting.

"At ease. We have something to discuss," Erwin said good naturedly. "Levi, shut the door please?"

Levi pushed the door closed, a subtle click indicating that he had locked it. Erwin pulled four files from his desk drawer and laid them before them.

"It has recently come to my attention that you four were hiding something," Erwin spoke, calmly opening the files, revealing their evaluations.

"I thought those files were destroyed," Rachel spoke hushed.

"How long have you suspected us?" William asked, keeping his voice leveled.

"A few days before Ackerman died," Levi spoke. "We wanted to confront you but the time wasn't right."

"What do you want? We haven't done anything wrong," George asked, flexing his fingers nervously.

"We just simply want to harness your powers for the good of humanity," Erwin replied.

Mable let out a mirthless laugh. Immediately, something cold and sharp pressed up against Erwin's neck, forcing him back. Levi surged forward but stopped when the same invisible blade pressed against his own neck.

"And how well did that work? The last time humanity trusted our kind, the ended up building sentinels to hunt us down. What makes you think we trust you to keep your promise?" Mable asked coldly.

"We already have. Drayce was a mutant and we never saw fit to restrain him or any of you for that matter. You all proved your worth just by having a common goal with us, to take back what was stolen from us. It would be rather unwise to turn on such powerful allies," Erwin reasoned.

Seconds passed. A silence filled the room, no one moved a muscle. Erwin stared at the mutants, their eyes conversing with one another. The invisible blade disappeared, a small breeze ruffling the papers.

"We'll accept on some condition. Destroy these papers. Make sure the MPs never get their hands on them," William demanded.

"That can be done. Any other requests?" Erwin calmly asked, inwardly smiling.

"I dunno about you but I'm not sleeping in a cell," George said.

"Of course. We only do that with inexperienced shifters or prisoners," Erwin replied. "If you have any other requests, take them to Levi. Otherwise you have the rest of the day to yourselves."

"Thank you sir. May I?" William asked, gesturing to the files.

Erwin nodded and that was all the conformation they needed. Rachel's eyes glowed turquoise as she lifted the files into the air, moving them directly in front of William. The teen's hands blazed with fire as he burned each file. Erwin looked at the display with fascination. Even Levi couldn't help but be slightly impressed. Once the files were reduced to mere ashes, Rachel dropped them into the wastebasket.

"I'm hungry. Wanna go to the market?" George asked, walking towards the door.

"Yeah sure, why not?" William asked. "Lemme get my money."

"Where is it?" George asked.

"The bedside table."

A small light flickered and expanded into a small hole. Reaching through, Wiliam grabbed his pouch of coins. "Let's go."

Erwin and Levi watched as another portal formed on their door. As Erwin peered into the doorway, he saw a vending stall near their right. So it was instant travel. It would save them a lot of time, getting from one location to another.

"Oi, get back here by five," Levi grumbled as the portal flickered out. "You still have to clean the kitchen."

* * *

"Remove the restraints," Hange ordered.

"But Hange, it's still dangerous!" Eld argued.

"With limbs that size, it not going nowhere man. Use your eyes," Oluo said, yanking out a spike.

"Connie, follow me if you will," Hange beckoned.

The teen followed Hange into an abandoned house. Inspecting the ruined structure, Hange tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Connie, what do you see? Based on the house's structure?" Hange asked.

Looking around the wrecked home, Connie shrugged. "Dunno. What's so special about it?"

"Take a look at the ceiling, or rather what's left of it. Look at the edge of the hole," Hange advised. "The planks have been pushed upwards."

Connie squinted at the ceiling, staring at it. As the realization dawned on him, he rushed outside, looking from roof to roof. It was the same, planks pushed upwards. Slowly the pieces fell into place. The structural integrity, the missing people, not a drop of blood. It was to much to take in. Connie fell to his knees and started to weep.

"Mom, dad, Sunny, Martin," he cried.

"Connie, I'm sorry. I truly am," Hange said softly. "We'll find a way. Maybe if Eren learns to use his Coordinate power, he can turn your mom back."

The boy wiped his tears away. "I should be grateful that she's still here. I believe he'll find a way. Knowing Eren, he'll stop at nothing to get rid of them."

Hange pats his back and stands up. "Mount up! We're leaving."

"Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

 _Tap. Tap tap._

A man lifted his head from his desk and stared groggily at the window. A white dove looked back at him from the other side of the glass, waiting. Groaning, he stood up and strode to the window and opened it, letting the bird in.

Flapping its white wings, it flew in and landed on a perch besides the wooden desk.

"Hello Avlon. What do you have for me today?" the man asked good naturedly.

The bird cooed and held out its leg, waiting for the man to untie its burden. He takes the parchment and unrolls it, reading the contents.

 _Hello Helos,_

 _It's been a while. I am regretful that we do not have time for greetings for our old enemy is rising once again. Logan and Charles are expecting you, best not hold them up. They shall explain what I didn't._

Helos looked up and rubbed his eyes. Avlon, having done his job flew back out the window. Grabbing his trenchcoat and bicorn hat, he strode out the door. The sun was shining brightly, a slight breeze in the air. He strode down the children filled street. He watched as they chased each other, laughing and shouting. As he reached the end of the street, stopping at an old wooden door. Before he could knock, the door swung open, revealing a man with a deep scowl.

"Helos," the man greeted stiffly.

"Logan, are you going to let me in?" Helos asked amused.

Logan moved to the side as Helos swiftly walked past him. He strode into the dining room, Logan two steps behind him. Charles was already at the table, hands clasped together, a small smile at his lips.

"Ah, Helos! We were wondering when you would arrive. You're sleeping in as late as Logan," Charles said, eyes twinkling.

"I was told that you had things to explain to me?" Helos asked.

"So you've received her message. Good job," Logan replied gruffly.

"Sit down, we have an important matters to tend to," Charles invited.

Pulling up a chair, Helos took a seat to the right of Charles. Logan plopped back down across from him.

"You are aware of the inevitable war, are you not?" Charles asked.

"Yes. He is rising again and siding with Marley this time. No doubt in mind that he intends to regain his spark," Helos replies.

"Yes. She intends to build the guild once more to stop him," Charles informed.

"You're in it I assume?" Helos asked, looking at Logan.

"Naw. The proposal was rejected," the man replies, taking a swig of liquor.

"He is rather the mentor this time, Helos," Charles replied. "A new generation is taking charge."

"They are children. Inexperienced and without knowledge," Helos argued firmly. "I would agree if they had training."

"Don't underestimate them Helos. I bet they could take you down without trying. Afterall, Marley did train them. They're all deadly, even more so in a team, especially _him_. He's brutal," Logan smirks.

"She needs you so you can bind them to the guild. They are our best chance," Charles said pointedly.

"Very well. Then I shall leave for Valkern immediately," Helos decided. "Good day to you."


	26. Chapter 25

**A/N: Woo hoo, chapter 25! Now we're going places. This chapter, I'm dropping the biggest hint possible for the future plot line before completely spilling the beans next chapter because why not? Also, I would usually update about every week and a half but I'm pushing it back to two weeks now. One thing I noticed was many stories I've found have just dropped off after the first few chapters, and it's pretty sad because a lot of them have potential if the author did continue it. Just know that I will NEVER leave any story I write unfinished, it's not my style. But all things aside, happy reading! :)  
**

"How long have you had it?"

"Maybe 5 years now? I don't fully remember."

Moblit scribbles down the information into his notebook.

"Do you have the slightest idea how to use it?"

Eren shifts uncomfortably. "No, as far as I know. My dad's basement might have an answer though. I think he was the one who gave me my powers."

"Do you know where he is?" Moblit asks, writing a side note to visit Eren's old basement.

"He disappeared after Wall Maria fell. I have no idea where he is," Eren admitted.

"Very well. Thank you Eren. You may go now," Moblit replies.

The brunette nods respectfully and takes his leave. Moblit sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. 3 more months have passed and still no new information was gained. Even Annie didn't have answers. On top of that, Erwin's trial was coming up and all missions were on hold until after the fate of the commander was decided. All of this was giving him a massive headache. Reaching for his hip flask, he unscrews the cap and takes a drink.

His eyes wander lazily towards the clock. Almost noon. He had agreed to help Hange at the archives after talking with Eren to see if they could find something about his father. Standing up, Moblit grabbed his notebook and strode out the door. He walked to the end of the hall and down a set of spiraling stairs. Torchlight lit up the musty corridor. A wooden door was slightly ajar, the sound of shuffling papers coming from behind them.

"Any new information this session?" Hange asks, as Moblit pushes open the door.

"Sort of. Eren mentioned his dad's basement again. Did you find anything on in the archives?" Moblit asked.

"Yep. This file," Hange says, plopping down a stack of papers. "I haven't read it yet."

Hange pulls a chair next to Moblit and puts on her glasses. Flipping open the folder, she takes a citizenship document from the thick stack. As she scanned the page, something catches her eye.

"Wait Moblit, look at this," Hange said, squinting at the words.

Moblit looked over to what Hange was pointing to, Grisha's birthplace. Besides it were words written in neat handwriting. 40th expedition, found beyond the Walls. Moblit squinted at the words.

"He was found beyond the walls? How is that possible?" Moblit asked incredulously.

"I don't know. We know from Annie that we are not the last of humanity. Grisha may very well be from one the same place Annie was from but that's not what I'm concerned about. Look at the date that he was found," Hange says.

Moblit continues down the sentence. The 40th expedition? Moblit scavenges the messy desk and pulls the military records from beneath several other papers begins to scan the page. Year 828, 829, and 830. Year 830? Running his finger down the line, he eventually comes to a stop.

"40th expedition. Huh. So that was when he was found," Moblit noted. "15 years before the fall of Wall Maria."

"Look at the name of the commander at that time," Hange said.

Moblit turns back to his paper and his eyes widened to the size of a silver coin.

"No way. Instructor Shadis?! The Keith Shadis?" Moblit asked shocked.

"We just found our new lead," Hange replied, beaming with joy.

* * *

"Focus, Yeager!" Levi barks as Annie goes for another kick which Eren barely manages to dodge.

Grunting, he throws a left hook at the blond. Slipping under his arm, Annie snakes upwards, grabbing it and twists it behind his back, forcing Eren to tap out.

"You're getting sloppier," Annie notes, letting go of his arm. "Your stance is still too wide."

"Captain Levi! Squad Leader Hange has some questions for Annie and Eren!" George calls out, running out from a portal. "It's information about Eren's dad!"

"What?!" Eren shouts excitedly. "Did they find something in the archives?"

"Yeah! Hange has a theory that she wants to confirm," George replies. "I mean, if that's okay with you Captain."

Sighing, Levi waves his hand dismissively. "Alright, go ahead."

Annie and Eren walk towards the portal, leaving the courtyard and into Hange's office. The dimensional doorway closes with a flicker. Hange turns around in her seat to face the three teens.

"Sorry to pull you from your training," Hange apologizes briskly, organizing the papers on the oak table. "So as you know, we have some information about your father Eren. Take a look at his file."

Hange hands Eren Grisha's citizenship document and the boy begins to read, muttering to himself as he scans the page. A look of curiosity filled his face as he hands the paper back to Hange.

"Crazy right?" Hange asked Eren, taking back the sheet. "Those were my exact thoughts when I first read it."

"What is it?" Annie asked suspiciously, looking between the scientist and the green eyed boy.

"It says on that document that my father wasn't born in Shiganshina. He was from beyond the walls, found during the Survey Corp's 40th expedition," Eren said. "But still, it doesn't explain much."

"Well, we know Grisha was a doctor-"

"Wait, Grisha? As in Grisha Yeager?" George asks surprised.

"Why? You know him?" Annie questions.

"Actually I do. He was our doctor when we were kids," George answered. "He was hired by the undercover Marley officials to keep us in health."

"Do you know if he had any previous connections with Marley?" Hange asked.

"Hmm. I don't know, it was what? 11 years ago maybe? Anyways, you should ask Rachel. She has the memory of an elephant."

"What's an elephant?" Eren asked.

"Oh, it was an animal with a really long nose made of over 40,000 muscles. Apparently they were really good at remembering things," Hange explained.

"Oh."

A portal opened, revealing clothes on a hanger.

"Oy, Rachel!" George shouted.

"George! What the hell are you doing in my closet?!" Rachel demanded behind the closet doors.

"Sorry, Hange wanted to ask you a question about our old doctor, ," George shouted. "She want to know if he had any previous connections with Marley."

A moment of silence welled up before Rachel finally answered. "It was like 11 years ago but I do remember this since my cell was the closest to the office. The official had threatened to dispose of Dr. Yeager's family if he didn't cooperate, but the thing that disturbed me the most was when he said that he escaped with the titan. We know Marley possessed several titans so Dr. Yeager must've fled after stealing one of the titans."

"Thanks Rachel!" George replied before closing the portal.

"So he was from Marley. That would explain why he was found beyond the walls," Hange mused.

"She also mentioned that your dad escaped with the titan. Do you think it is possible that your dad was the Attack titan before you?" Annie asked.

"There would be a high likelihood. I mean, I'm his son so who else would've given it to me?" Eren replied. "It still doesn't answer where he is though."

"Err," Hange said awkwardly. "It kinda does if you did indeed receive the Attack Titan from your father."

"What do you mean?" Eren demanded.

"Eren, do you know how titan shifters pass their powers?" Annie asks.

The boy shook his head, uneasiness growing in his stomach. "No, how?"

"When a titan eats a shifter, the powers get passed on. Ergo, you were a titan and ate your father," Annie deadpans.

"Annie!" George exclaims. "He's right there!"

"Well, he asked for it," she replies.

"You're kidding me, right?" Eren asked disbelief growing on his face.

"Nope."

"How is that possible?! I don't recall anything at all!" he exclaimed.

"If I remember correctly, you told us about a dream you had. Your dad was holding onto you, injecting you with something. Am I right?" George asked.

"That wasn't a dream. I imagine it happened sometime after Reiner and Bertholt breached Wall Maria. Your dad injected you with a titan serum, turning you into one," Annie explained. "We'll have more time to dwell on this later. Hange, was there anything else you wanted to show us in particular besides that?"

"Take a look at the year that he was found," Hange instructed, after taking a gulp of water.

"The 40th expedition. Wasn't that like 20 some years ago?" George asked.

"25 to be precise. The commander at the time, believe it or not was Keith Shadis," Hange replied.

"Then I think our next step would be to ask Shadis himself then," Eren concludes. "See if he has anymore information about what happened."

"Yes, that would be a good idea. George, do you think your range can extend to the training grounds?" Hange inquired.

"Pfft. If I can go from Trost to the titan forest, then this will be a walk in the park," he replies before opening the portal. "All aboard."

* * *

"TEN MORE, YOU MAGGOTS!" Shadis yelled. "IF YOU CAN'T KEEP UP, THEN YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE TITAN FODDER!"

Shadis walks around the struggling recruits, watching them with a critical eye.

"Feels like yesterday, doesn't it sir?"

Whirling around, Shadis comes face to face with Eren.

"Yeager, how did you get here?" Shadis asked surprised.

"I had help," he chuckled, gesturing to the rest of his friends behind him.

"Shadis, it's been too long," Hange greets, shaking the bewildered instructor. "We have several questions for you."

"Of course. Wait for me in my office. I shall be with you shortly," Shadis grunts. "MAGGOTS! IT IS TIME FOR YOUR LUNCH! DISMISSED!"

"Things have changed now," Shadis sighed, walking towards the lone building at the edge of the training grounds. "3 titans on our side. Never thought I live to see that. My condolences for your lost Leonhart. He was a good soldier."

"Thank you sir," Annie replies stiffly.

"Instructor, we have become aware that 25 years ago, you found a man beyond the walls. Eren's father to be exact," Hange asked.

Shadis sighed and rubbed his bald head.

 _Flashback Starts_

" _We found him on the way back from the 40th expedition. We were riding along when we spotted Grisha by himself, wandering and muttering to himself. It had appeared at the time that he had gone mad. He was talking about titans and how he was one of them. I didn't understand what he was saying at the time."_

 _The hooves clopped slowly against the ground. Spirits were dimmed, good men were lost. Shadis looked up wearily from his horse._

' _Commander, take a look,' his assistant said puzzled. 'It looks like a person.'_

 _Shadis, now perked up, took the scope from the man and raised it to his eye. Indeed, it was a person, but how did he get all the way out here? The man was walking in circles, clearly delirious. Tripping over his own feet, the man falls down._

' _Squad 4, come with me! We are investigating,' Shadis ordered._

' _Yes sir!'_

 _The squad moves away from the group towards the fallen man. Dismounting, Keith rushed to him and flipped him onto his back. The man's lips were cracked from dehydration._

' _Medics, carry this man back with us. I have some questions for him,' Keith ordered._

" _By the time we had returned Grisha had regained consciousness."_

 _Keith opened the door and crossed the room, taking a seat besides a now fully conscious Grisha._

' _Thank you for saving my life,' he rasped out. 'I would've died for sure.'_

' _Take it easy there. Have some more water,' Keith offered. 'What's your name?'_

' _I don't remember anything,' Grisha replied in between gulps of water._

' _How did you escape the walls?' Keith wondered._

' _Walls? What walls?' Grisha asked, putting back on his glasses._

' _The walls humanity built to fend of the titans,' Keith replied confused. 'Do you have amnesia?'_

' _I must've. I would've remembered something as important as that,' Grisha answered._

" _Grisha was disinclined to give us more information after that. Within a day, he had made a full recovery. I took him to the local hub later where he asked about the life within the walls. He did recognize the works of the Survey Corps which was surprising at first._

' _Hello Keith! Another round for you and your friend?' the waitress asked. 'I hope you're not trying to convince him to join.'_

' _Oh hello, Carla. Of course not,' Keith replied, Grisha nodded in agreement._

' _What's your name?' Carla asked, flashing a smile._

' _Grisha, Grisha Yeager,' he replied, pushing up his glasses._

' _Nice to meet you! See you around,' Carla replied._

" _A few weeks later, Grisha was employed at a hospital for his exceptional skills a s doctor. It was just in a nick of time as well. A plague was sweeping over Shiganshina, many citizens falling ill."_

' _Please! You have to help them! My parents, they'll die soon if you don't,' Carla sobbed._

' _Don't worry, I will. You're sick as well. Get some rest. You're just wearing yourself out,' Grisha replied._

" _Your father single handedly cured the entire population, including your mother and her parents. Several years later, Carla and Grisha married, eventually giving birth to you. Not much has happened until the fall of Wall Maria."_

' _Eren!" Grisha exclaimed, running up to his son and hugging him, tears at his eyes._

' _Dad?' Eren groaned, rubbing his eyes._

' _Grisha, you really should let him sleep. It's one in the morning,' Keith replied._

' _Come with me, my son,' Grisha said, taking Eren by his hand._

' _Grisha! Where are you going?! Have you gone mad?!' Keith asked panicked._

' _Don't worry about me, and please, don't follow us,' Grisha replied._

" _And that was the last time I ever saw him."_

' _Dad! What are you doing?! Let go of me,' Eren shouted, panic swelling inside the boy._

' _Eren! Listen to me!' Grisha said, tears falling from his face. 'Take this key. Don't ever let it leave your side!'_

 _Grisha proceeded to take the key dangling on a cord and put it around his son's neck. Reaching into his coat pocket, he took out a slim black box. Opening it, Eren could see an empty needle and a bottle of cloudy liquid. Taking the needle, Grisha proceeded to draw out the liquid._

' _Give me your hand,' Grisha said, syringe in one hand._

' _No!' Eren screamed, falling back. 'Mom's death made you crazy!'_

' _Eren, listen to me!' Grisha pleaded, grabbing his son's arm. 'If you are to ever avenge your mother, protect Armin and Mikasa, you need this! Their memories will guide you. Tell him! He will help you!'_

 _Without warning, Grisha plunged the needle into Eren's arm and stepped back. Falling to his knees, Grisha began to sob. Eren staggered away from his father, an intense burning coursed through his veins. His vision went cloudy, swimming before his eyes before he blacked out entirely._

 _A bolt of lightning struck down upon Eren, transforming him. In his place stood a 4 meter titan with short rugged hair. His lipless mouth revealing his jagged teeth. The eyes homed in on Grisha before reaching out and grabbing him. Grisha watched as his son turned titan brought him closer and closer to its gaping maw._

' _Learn your powers and protect them, my son. I love you.' Grisha thought before his world went black._

 _Shadis turned towards the forest in surprise._

' _Lightning?! How is this possible? There isn't a single cloud in sight!' he muttered to himself, walking towards the grove._

 _Arriving at the scene, Shadis looked around confused. Eren was lying in the middle of the clearing but Grisha was nowhere in sight. Even more confusing was the fact that there seemed to be no damage at all from when the lightning struck. Picking up Eren in his arms, Shadis returned to the camp, shaking his head._

 _Flashback Ends_

"And after I brought you back, I just put you back to sleep. I still don't know where he is to this day," Shadis concluded.

"Instructor, we appreciate your time. We must get back to the headquarters now. Thank you," Hange replied, scribbling down the last of her notes.

"Of course. I understand that you're busy. About time I yell at them for goofing off," Shadis grumbled.

"George, if you would be so kind," Hange asked.

A portal swirled opened, revealing Hange's office. The group stepped through the dimensional wormhole and disappeared. Keith tore his eyes away from the spot, returning outside.

"ALL RIGHT MAGGOTS! 30 LAPS AROUND THE COURT! DOUBLE TIME!" Keith screamed.

* * *

"Helos, about time," a woman greeted him.

"Ymir, it's been to long. Please, show me the way," Helos replied.

"Very well, follow me. I should tell you, he has the devil's powers," Ymir informed. "You must teach him to control it."

"It's been awhile since I used them. One should not take them too lightly. After all, since he has risen, he must take caution in using them or the devil could possess him again," Helos warned.

"Maria," Ymir greeted.

"My lady. Helos, it's a pleasure to see you," Maria greeted, bowing slightly.

"How is he?" Ymir asked.

"Recovering quite well," Maria replied. "Although he should wake soon. He'll be demanding explanations."

"I am fully aware," Ymir replied gently.

The pristine white door opened noiselessly, revealing a single bed. Helos strode across the room, studying the boy that laid in it. The tips of white feathery wing could be seen poking from underneath the covers. He was lean but muscular, scars riddling his body. His shaggy black hair ruffled and messy.

"So this is him," Helos mused. "This is promising. Do you know the full extent of his capabilities?"

"Not yet, but maybe you should ask him yourself," Maria replied, smirking just as the boy's gold eyes blazed open.


	27. Chapter 26

**A/N: You knew it was coming. Sorry if this was late. I had to finish up my BMRs and they are the most horrendous thing a brain can do. (If you don't know what BMRs are, search them up but DON'T do them. It hurts your head.) Anyways, this is where everything begins to fall together. Happy reading! :)**

"Where am I?" the boy demanded, pushing up in his bed.

"Take it easy," Ymir said gently. "You've been through quite a lot."

"Who are you?" he demanded, inching back.

"My name is Ymir, this is Maria, my daughter. He's Helos, an old friend," Ymir answered.

They boy clutched his head muttering. "No, no, no. This isn't possible. You're all just a myth! What happened?!"

"We aren't myths, we're real. You know the stories. Think back. What happened?" Helos replied.

"My friends, they were, we were surrounded by titans and I…" he trailed off.

"You sacrificed yourself so that they could live," Ymir told him. "Didn't you Drayce?"

"So I'm dead," Drayce whispered.

"I'm afraid so, but what if I told you you could have a second chance? Another way to return to those you love and protect them." Ymir asked him. "Would you do it?"

"How can I trust you? The first thing you ask me is to join your cause and you expect me to join?! Literally the definition of being sketch," Drayce replied.

"Can't argue with that," Helos grunted.

"I see. You still don't trust us huh? Well please allow me to shed some light on your situation," Ymir replies calmly. "The day you died, you were possessed by the Earth Devil himself. Do you remember when that girl-"

"Her name is Annie," he said curtly.

"Right, when Annie helped bring you back, I was the one who helped her. She wasn't strong enough to hold back your shadow warriors on her own."

"That was you?" he asked.

Ymir smiled and stood up. "Yes. I've been watching you ever since you've made land back on Paradis. I want the same thing you do, to restore Marley and their twisted ways. So what is your choice? You can stay here and watch the inevitable war descend upon where they will surely lose without your help them or you can join me and give them a fighting chance."

Drayce looked at her, uncertainty in his eyes. 'Annie,' he thought.

"Fine. I'll do it. I'll join you," he decided.

"Come with me then," Ymir said smiling.

Drayce slid down from his bed and began to follow her when a tugging sensation can from his back. Frowning, he turned and looked back. He had wings. White, feathery, angel wings.

"Ah, I see you noticed your wings. Come along, I shall tell you of our existence," Ymir beckoned.

Drayce ran after he, his wings tucked behind his back. He began to walk next to Ymir, keeping pace with her.

"You may know the story of the titan's creation," Ymir began. "But there is more to it."

"How so?" Drayce asked. "Wasn't it you fight Earth Devil, you die, sorry, and boom, nine titans?"

"It was common to believe that when I had died, my soul was split into 9 titans. That is incorrect. I only split into 7," Ymir said. "When the Earth Devil was finally defeated, I used my powers to split his soul in two titans. The two titans each held a fragment of his power enabling the user to tap into his ancient demonic powers."

"The Attack and Victory Titan?" Drayce asked.

"Precisely. Their Devil Unbound form significantly increase strength and speed. You, however, on that day was possessed by the Devil himself. He manifested in your titan form and we had to interfere and stop him," Ymir explained.

"If you knew I had such a dangerous power, then why didn't you act earlier?" Drayce asked confused.

"Our ancient laws forbid us to interfere with earthly matters unless the threat will cause an imbalance," Ymir explained. "And this is where you come in."

They stopped underneath a dome, painted with a mural depicting battle scenes but strangely enough, there was a hole at the top.

"What's here?" Drayce asked. "I know you didn't build this for a skylight."

"This is our archives. The records of all events or stories. My eldest daughter, Sina, is the librarian," Ymir explains.

Ymir looks up and begins to float upwards until she lands on the edge of the hole. Drayce merely looked at her in surprise. Unfolding his own wings, he began to flex them. They were powerful and light, only needing one downwards stroke to lift himself off. It took a while to get used to but he eventually got up there after crashing a few times.

"Well done! The others had a harder time than you did when the first started out," Ymir mused.

"Does everyone have wings?" Drayce asked, massaging his shoulder.

"No, only those in the guild," Ymir replied.

"The guild? And who are the others?"

"You'll see once they come back."

* * *

"Hmm, this is interesting," Levi drawled, sipping his tea. "There's been another murder, in broad daylight as well. Seems like the same perpetrator."

"May I?" Annie asked.

Levi put down his tea cup and handed her the latest edition. Annie flipped it open and scanned the page. The rest of the squad peered over her shoulder to take a look.

"Same type of arrow. Made from the crystal," Gunther noted.

"The Earth Devil called it lucindia," Petra reminded. "It was the only thing that could harm him in that fight."

"Damion Moor? I didn't know he was here," Annie exclaimed in surprise.

"What? Isn't he a ranking MP officer?" Eld asked.

"He was a spy from Marley. Everyone knows about him. He somehow infiltrated the walls. No one could've taken him down that easily with an arrow. He once caught a bullet with his fingers," Annie explained.

"Hmm, I wonder if the killer is on our side. I mean, this is only the second kill but the first guy was also from Marley. I wonder how they know," Oluo wondered, rubbing his chin. "I wish we knew who the killer was."

* * *

(Yesterday)

"Ymir, we're in position," an armored figure spoke.

' _Good, take him out swiftly and quickly. We can't let our presence be known, not yet at least,'_ Ymir replied.

"Got it," a second figure spoke. "I got us cloaked. We shouldn't be detected now. Take your time, he's not going anywhere any time soon."

"Pfft, as if I ever miss a shot," the first replied.

Reaching behind, the first figure grabbed an arrow, nocking it on the bow string. Drawing it back, the two waited with baited breath.

"Hey Damion, this one's got your name on it," the second figure said.

The first let the arrow fly, the arrow cloaked by the second person. Glass shattered and the man at the desk slumped over dead. Shouting could be heard from the building.

"Go, go, go," the first urged.

The duo stood up and ran from the rooftops, jumping up and spreading their wings.

"Ymir, it's done. We're approaching central Valkern's entrance. Get ready to receive us," the second said.

' _Good job. Another name crossed of the list. Opening the bridge now,'_ Ymir said.

The two armor clad figure flew up beyond the clouds and into a bright shining light.

"That's always weird," the first figure said.

' _Report to the archives and document this. Get the rest of the guild there too,'_ Ymir instructed.

"Got it," the second figure replied.

The two flew back towards the towering building looming before them. It was like a castle but bigger and pointier. Landing on the bridge, the two neatly tucked in their wings and began to walk back towards the gate. The two crystal armored soldiers positioned at the gate saluted the two, crossing their forearms into an x shape across their chest.

"C'mon, the archive is this way," the second said. "Apparently we might be able to finally meet the commander of the guild."

"I know, I need to drop off my bow and quiver at the armory," the first said.

"Make sure you grab your amulet. We couldn't teleport back because you forgot it," the second scolded.

"Geez, I'm sorry," the first yelled, dashing off down the hall. "Wait for me here!"

"Hurry up cause I'm not waiting for more than 2 minutes!"

Making a left turn, the figure entered the last room. The room was light by a beautiful skylight, colored glass covering the ceiling. Taking the bow and placing it on the rack, the figure grabbed an amulet in exchange. It was a milky white stone, giving off a slight glowing aura. Putting it on, the figure flashed out of the room.

"Let's go," the person shouted to the second before flashing to the archive.

"Hmph, about time," the second grumbled before flashing after the later.

"Welcome back ladies. Please take your helmets of in the archive. You know this," a woman spoke.

"Sorry Sina. This numbskull forgot her amulet," the second girl grumbled, taking off the lucindia helmet, letting her brown hair tumble down.

"Hey!" the first girl complained, taking of her own helmet, revealing hawk eyes.

"Christie, Megan, you're late," a boy said from across the room.

"Shut up Ivan," Megan grumbled. "Where are Tom and Boone anyways?"

"Probably goofing off again," Christie answered.

Ivan nodded before pointing to the next row of scrolls over. A thunderous crash came from the section and a cloud of dust billowed. Staggering out from behind the bookcase came Boone and Tom.

"I told you it was a bad idea," Tom grumbled.

"What?! It was your plan!" Boone exclaimed.

"If you boys are done wrecking the archive, then you might want to go to the central table. Ymir will be arriving soon," Sina suggested.

"Sorry Sina," the two apologized before hurrying after their friends to the table.

Sighing, Sina walked to the bookcase and began to file back the fallen scrolls.

"The guild? And who are the others?"

"You'll see once they come back."

Ymir and Drayce rounded the corner just as Sina put away the last scroll. She hurried over to greet them.

"My lady. Ah, I see you've woken," Sina said.

"Er, yes. You're Sina right? My friend Armin would love this place. It's well organised," Drayce said.

"Thank you. The others are back. They're waiting at the central table," Sina informed.

"Let's go," Ymir beckoned Drayce. "The central table is where we hold all our meetings. Wait here."

Drayce stopped and sat down, grabbing the nearest scroll and began to read. Ymir went on ahead to the rowdy group.

"Ymir!" Megan said. "It was a complete success."

"Yes, well done. I'm sure it wasn't a challenge at all?" Ymir asked. The two girls shook their head in response. "Well on another note, your commander is here now."

"Who is it? Helos?" Tom asked. "He's pretty qualified."

"No it's not. He's an old friend of yours," Ymir said smiling. "Drayce, come here please."

The group's eyes widened in shock as they watched their friend step forward, his face filled with an equal level of shock. Chairs scrapped against the floor as the five stood up, rushing over to hug their friend.

"Oh my god," Christie whimpered, tears beginning to leak out.

"Look at you all, you've grown. I missed you guys so much," Drayce said, hugging all of them.

"What the hell happened?!" Tom asked. "How?!"

"After you guys died, I couldn't go through that again. I would rather give my own life than watch the people I love die," Drayce responded meekley.

"So what?! You gave up your life to save them?" Ivan asked.

"Is that even a question?" Drayce laughed weakly.

"And you left the others! Who knows what will happen to them?!" Boone exclaimed.

"They'll be in good hands. They have some powerful friends and they're more than capable to care for themselves," Drayce says. "Believe in them."

"You never change," Megan laughed. "Ymir, is it okay if we show him around?"

Ymir beamed and nodded.

"Be sure to visit Palos. I'm sure he has his armor and package ready," Sina said, coming up to them. "Also Drayce, this is for you."

Holding out her hand, Drayce could see an amulet. Taking the stone in his hands, he put it around his neck.

"It enables the user to teleport wherever they wish, as long as you can picture the place clearly or see it in sight." Sina said.

"C,mon! Let's get to the roof! It'll be easier to see all the shops from there. Last one there gets their ass kicked," Tom shouts, running towards the center of the archive and dropping down.

The group of teens pursuits Tom in a race to get to the top. Dropping down, Drayce spreads his wings and glides towards the front gate, the rest of his friends close behind. Jumping up to a supporting column, he launches up into the air flapping his wings.

"Come on, Drayce! Put some muscle to it," Ivan shouts as he passes the gold eyed mutant.

"Get back here!" Drayce shouts as he continues to scale the building. "You are not winning."

"Better move quickly," Megan says.

"Or else you'll fall behind!" Christie finishes.

"I'm just getting warmed up," Drayce yells. "Don't count me out."

Megan and Christie looked down to see Drayce hurtle up the building on all fours, moving twice as fast as before.

"What the heck?!" Christie gasps as Drayce shoots past them, accelerating by the second. "Tom! Watch out!"

Drayce grins as he leaps of the building and bouncing off his flying friend. Tom recoiled in shock before soaring after Drayce. Grabbing a flag pole, Drayce swings around to the opposite side and continues his climb.

"How the heck are that fast?" Tom asks, landing next to Drayce at the top. "The last time we timed you for 50 meters it was two minutes something."

"I was that slow? I mean that was like 5 years ago after all. If you're going off that time, you're sorely mistaken my friend," Drayce replies laughing. "I can do it in like one minute fifteen now, and that's without these wings."

"Eh, they take time getting used to," Megan said, landing with Christie, followed shortly by Boone and finally Ivan.

"Damn it! Am I the last one again?" he exclaims.

The four nodded before looking at one another. The group sat down facing towards the town. They bombarded Drayce with questions. What happened the past years? What happened to their other friends?

"Geez, can't a guy eat before explaining his life story?" Drayce complained, taking a bite of of the bread Megan gave him.

"Sorry but it's been way to long. Five freaking years man," Boone said grinning.

"We should head out to meet Palos. We need to get your armor and that package," Tom said standing up. "Hmm, over there! That building with the black smoke coming out of its chimney."

"Thanks Tom. That narrows it down to like half the town," Drayce replied sarcastically.

"The one next to that house with the half finished sword sculpture. You see it?" Christie asked.

Squinting down at where she was pointing, he nodded. It was a small building but black smoke was pouring from the chimney. He could see the faint orange glow of the forge working.

"You know how to use the thing right? Just look at it or imagine the place. See y'all there!" Ivan said before flashing off the roof.

"That was helpful," Drayce grumbles before flashing off the roof himself.

"Welp, let's see the damage shall we?" Tom said brightly before flashing off with the rest of his friends as well.

When they arrived, everything was intact which meant he didn't teleport into any walls.

"Where is he?" Megan asked, turning around in a full circle before Drayce, covered in soot, falls right in front of her.

"Ow."

"Where did you come from?" Christie asked, doubled over with laughter.

"I teleported into the damn chimney. Thanks a lot Tom," he groans.

"How is it my fault? You were the one who teleported in there but are you good?" Tom asks.

"Eh, just several scratches which should heal," Drayce said shrugging. "And you were the one who put chimneys in my mind!"

"Should it still be steaming then?" Megan asks.

Drayce looks at his arm in confusion. Steam being emitted from the injured part. It shouldn't be possible! It was supposed to be gone! Why did he still have it?

"That I'll ask Ymir later," Drayce replies, inwardly panicking. "Let's go see Palos."

The six of them stepped in to the forge where they were immediately met with a blast of heat. Drayce looked around the area in awe. It wasn't like anything he's ever seen before. The walls were decorated with masterful pieces of work. Swords, armor, knives, bows, and arrows hung from hooks. Christie pulled the cord and a distant chiming of the bell could be heard.

"Comin'!" a loud deep voice grunted.

A mountain of a man lumbered into the main room. His hair and beard were tangled, black as night. He was so tall that his head scrapped the ceiling. His arms were covered in burns and old scars from what was presumably accidents from the forge. Despite his appearance though, his eyes crinkled at the corners, warmth shown through them. A smile formed on his face and he began to laugh, a deep bellied laugh.

"It's been awhile since you've visited!" Palos boomed. "What can I help ya with?"

"We were told that the armor was finished. We're here to pick that up as well as the package," Christie replied.

"Ahh, I have it right here. Now who was it for?" Palos grunted, shuffling around the various items.

"It's for our old friend here," Boone said, slapping Drayce's back. "He's the new commander of the guild."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meetcha, sir. I'm here anytime you need me. Try this on, see if it fits," Palos said, handing Drayce a cloak.

"What do I do with this?" Drayce asked confused.

"What do you do? What do you do?" Palos laughed. "Put it on! I bet ya never seen one of these before, eh?"

"No I haven't," Drayce replied, swinging, the cloak over himself. "Is that it?"

"Wait for it," Palos grinned.

Suddenly, the cloak began to wrap itself around Drayce's body. It elongated and stretched to cover his arms and legs. The black threads began to change color, turning lighter and stiffer by the second. Soon, Drayce was covered in a blue crystalline armor suit. Drayce gazed at the suit in awe. A black dragon standing on its hind legs with its arms reared out was stamped onto the shoulder piece.

"Where did you get this crystal? I thought only Annie could make this," Drayce asked.

"Lucindia comes from the mines at the core of Valkern. It's one of the strongest materials here. We use it all the time to suit our soldiers so it was dubbed angel stone instead," Ivan explained.

"And who's Annie? Could it be someone _special_?" Megan asked slyly.

"I'll tell you later," Drayce replied, shrugging off the prying comment.

"Look at the gauntlets on your armor. Usually, each soldier would get a blade that extends and retracts from the vambraces. Leave's the hands free to hold other things. I made a special modification to yours," Palos said. "Something that'll make using your gift easier."

Drayce studied his hands. There were little, hollow, half domes in between the knuckles, just enough space for a thin sabre. He extended out his claws, the protrusions neatly sliding out of the space. He studied his claws before retracting them.

"One more thing before y'all leave. Here's the package. Don't lose it and deliver it straight to Ymir. It's extremely precious," Palos warned before taking out a small grubby package out of his breast pocket and handing it to Drayce.

"Thank you for everything Palos. We'll make sure it gets to Ymir safely," Tom said. "See you again!"

"Alright kids, take care," Palos waved, before trodding back deeper into his forge.

"You guys do your thing. I'll take it to Ymir," Drayce reassured. "I wanna ask her something."

"Alright, you do you. We'll see you later in the archives yeah?" Boone asked. "You got some more explaining to do."

"Fine, I'll see you all there," Drayce laughed before teleporting away.

* * *

"Ymir!"

Ymir looked up from her desk to see Drayce striding in, a mad look on his face.

"You haven't told me the whole story. What did you do to me?" he asked angrily.

"I already told you. We helped bring you back-"

"Not that. You know what I mean," Drayce said holding up his hand to show her. Steam was pouring out from his claw wounds, the sound of electricity crackling and sizzling. "And if what you are saying is the whole story, then why do I still have _this_?"


	28. Chapter 27

**A/N: I figured it's about time I posted a new chapter. Happy reading!**

"Not that. You know what I mean," Drayce said holding up his hand to show her. Steam was pouring out from his claw wounds, the sound of electricity crackling and sizzling. "And if what you are saying is the whole story, then why do I still have _this_?"

A silence filled the room, only broken by the electricity. Ymir stared steadily at her champion's steaming hand, a severe look upon her face.

"I have permanently locked it inside of you," Ymir replied calmly.

"You did what?" Drayce asked quietly, but the edge in his tone was especially prominent. "Is it not bad enough that I am a mutant, born to kill? Then the power of the titan was then thrust upon me, turning me into a weapon of war. Countless people down on that world fighting to _own_ me for their own benefits?!"

"Yes, which is why you must be the only one who must have this. You are the only that understands this so naturally you would act upon what you trust is right. You were never truly on either side, more of a bystander caught in crossfire. I sought you because of your loyalty and your skills to lead, nothing more, nothing less," Ymir shot back.

Drayce's glare lessened as he began to see what Ymir saw.

"It was never about your powers or peculiarities when I chose you. I chose you for your core morals, your power were just a side benefit. Give me the package that Palos gave you," Ymir asked, holding out her hand.

Drayce handed over the package to Ymir, watching as she unwrapped it. A several clear colored stones were revealed. Picking up all five of them, Ymir studied them before scooping four of them into a pouch. The fifth one was left on the table. Reaching out her hand, the stone began to levitate and float towards Drayce.

"Once every century, these stones, millennial crystals, will be created. An extremely rare crystal that is the core of every titan shifter. We spent over a century gathering as many as we could. Each one is special, tailored specifically to each titan," Ymir said. "This stone will counteract your curse. It will prevent your body from degrading. Take it."

Drayce reached out to grab the stone. As he did, the color began to change. It glowed an intense white, gradually turning into a golden yellow color. The stone floated in the air, a yellow aura surrounding it. It swirled around in the air before completely disappearing. A yellow streak flew around him. Drayce eyed the yellow streak warily, unsure what to do. Without warning, the streak pierced his chest.

Drayce staggered back in shock. His breathing turned heavy, a fatigue washed over him causing him to fall over. An intense burning feeling situated itself where his sternum was. The burning swirled to every inch of his body as if an inferno had consumed him. His eyes began glow a pure yellow color. As quickly as it began, cool pleasantness began to wash over his body, the pain and fatigue fading. Groaning, he pushed himself off the floor and faced Ymir.

"Well, how was it?" she asked.

"Zero out of ten would do that again," he groaned, rubbing his eyes. "That was painful and tiring."

"I suggest you get some rest then. Feel free to explore when you wake up if you wish," Ymir replied.

"I'm good. I think I'll go explore. Not that tired now," Drayce replied. "There's still something I have to take care of."

"Very well. Return before sunset. There is another matter we must attend too and after that, Rose will show you to your room," Ymir called out to the shrinking form of Drayce.

* * *

"Annie! Time!"

Annie lands on the floor breathing hard, her swords at her side.

"New record!" Armin called out. "Five minutes and twenty one seconds. That's pretty good! Your time went down by sixteen seconds."

"Eh, I botched the fifth target. I could've gotten a faster time," Annie replies, sheathing her blades. "I'm going to get some water before Ackerman starts. I still want to see who wins the bet."

She begins to walk towards the water pump, wiping sweat from her forehead. The stones crunched beneath her feet as she walked down the path. She turned to look at his gravestone. Vines were beginning to snake their way up, covering the name. Walking over, she pulled the tendrils of the stone piece. The air began to change, her hair at the back of her neck stood up. Turning around, there was a figure wearing a black cloak. The cloak covered the person's face, protecting the identity.

"Who are you?" Annie asked, hand inching towards her swords.

"There is no need for violence. I'm simply here to reclaim what was once mine," the man spoke, his voice was deep and distorted.

In a flash of white, he disappeared from the spot he was standing. Annie's eyes widened in shock. She pulled out her swords and began to scan the environment. Where did he go?! There was no way anyone could've done that.

"Where are you?" she shouted angrily.

"So touchy. You remind me of someone," the man spoke again, his voice coming from the tree behind her.

Whirling around, she fired her anchor at the tree and reeling in to slash at the man. Faster than the eye could see, the man jumped from his position, backflipping towards bis grave and taking the sword.

"Give that back to me," Annie said darkly, clutching her blades tighter.

Silence.

"I SAID GIVE IT BACK TO ME YOU SON OF A BITCH," she screamed swinging her swords upward.

The man blocked both blades with the katana's sheath, pushing downwards, easily shattering the blades.

'How is he this powerful?!' Annie thought, recoiling. 'Wait! Mikasa?!'

The raven haired girl spun out of tree, blades whirling, a steely look on her face. The man turned and raised an arm to block the blow. Her blades shattered as she made contact.

'What the-?!' Mikasa thought shocked. Looking back, she could see why.

The man's arm was armored with crystal. A black imprint could clearly be seen on the shoulder. A dragon standing on its hind legs, arms reared out. He stepped back and the rest of the cloak began to contract and smoothen. Within a few seconds, he was completely outfitted with the crystal armor.

"Hey. That's my brother's sword. Put it back unless you want to see my specially diced meat," Mikasa snarls.

"I'm sorry. I truly am, but your request isn't something I can do," the man spoke, but somehow his voice sounded pained.

In another flash of white, he was gone. Annie and Mikasa both looked at each other before running to the castle.

"Who the hell was he?" Mikasa asks.

"Does it look like I know," Annie growls. "He's going to pay for what he did."

"Ackerman, Leonhart! Explain," Levi ordered, walking out with Armin tailing behind.

"A man wearing a suit of crystal armor attacked and stole Drayce's katana," Mikasa said.

"No. He never attacked. All he did was disarm us and take the blade. He can teleport as well," Annie said.

"Gaylent's ability?" Levi asked.

"No. He disappears in a flash of white. No portal at all," Mikasa says.

"You two. Report to Four Eyes," Levi begins. "The sword is the least of our worries right now. For now, we need to find out who he is and whose side he's on."

Annie and Mikasa nods before running back into the castle, unable to wrap their minds over what occurred. The two barged into Hange's office, causing the scientist to jump up in surprise and spill her bottle of ink.

"Oh, sorry about that," Mikasa says. "Hange, we were visited by an unknown suspect."

The scientist frowned and put on her glasses, her hand black from the spilled ink.

"Care to elaborate? Some more information would be nice," Hange said, wiping down herself and the desk with a wet cloth.

"We think the person that stole Drayce's sword just now is the same person that is killing the Marley officials," Annie explains. "He was wearing a suit of lucindia armor. The arrow used to kill the spies were made of the same material."

"How is that possible? We only know of two things that can break the lucindia and that's either dark steel or lucindia itself," Hange replied.

"He might've taken the sword to try and carve out more pieces of it, but that on it own doesn't make sense. Who uses a sword to cut something?" Mikasa asks.

"Um, we use swords to cut titans' napes," Annie replies.

"You know what I mean!" Mikasa exclaims.

"He did say something about taking back something that was once his," Annie said. "How many people do you know that can lug around a twenty pound sword all day?"

"True but we don't know how many people before Drayce had the sword. Somehow all of this doesn't make any sense. Why the murders so suddenly? Why not the moment they arrived? There is something we're missing. We just can't figure out what it is," Hange murmurs, adjusting her glasses.

* * *

Ymir paced back and forth, Drayce standing in front of her.

"Do you know what could've happened? All that for a sword?!" she asks angrily.

"This sword has more meaning to me than you think," Drayce replies.

"I'm not angry about that. I'm angry that you didn't allow any precautions before going in. You let yourself be seen!" Ymir scolded. "You could have the very least asked Megan to go with you."

"I'm sorry Ymir. It's just that if this sword falls into the wrong hands, it can potentially expose all of us, not just me," Drayce apologizes.

Ymir waves her hand dismissively. "What's done is done. It doesn't matter anymore. We need to focus on the coming war. We have nine sectors ready but only six of them can be commanded. The guild isn't complete."

"So you want me to find three other people to lead the remaining three sectors?" Drayce asks.

Ymir nods. "We sent the rest of your friends searching but none of them found any viable candidates. We were hoping you might know some people."

"When do you want me to start?"

"As soon as possible. Helos has been getting impatient lately. He's been sending me quite a lot of mail, asking if we've found anyone yet," Ymir said lightly.

"All right then. I'll report back to you at sundown," Drayce replies before taking his leave.

He teleports to the central table and grabs a quill and a piece of parchment. Dipping the quill into the ink, he stares thoughtfully at the paper before scratching out three names. Satisfied, he stands up and walks to Sina's desk.

"Sina, I need a favor. Can you tell me where these people are at? Ymir is looking for suitable candidates to finish the guild. I believe they will do well," Drayce says.

"No problem at all! Just give me a minute to find them real quick," Sina says, holding out her hand.

Three scrolls zoom into her hands from deep within the shelves. Unrolling them, she scans the seemingly unending roll of parchment. Looking back and forth between the scrolls and paper, she eventually scribbles down two locations.

"These two live together. He lives fairly close to them as well. Wouldn't take much. If he isn't home, I suggest you try your luck at the park with him. He goes there quite often," Sina says, handing him the piece of parchment back.

"Thanks Sina!" Drayce says before running towards the center hatch.

Dropping down, he spreads his wings into a glide and floats out the main gates.

"Charles, Luttrell. Hold the gates open a little longer will you? I have an errand to run," Drayce says. "I'll be back either before or at sundown."

"Yes sir!" the two reply.

"Don't call me sir. It makes me feel old," Drayce complains.

"Sure thing then," Luttrell says. "We'll wait for your return."

Drayce nods and jumps off the ledge and soars off towards the far end of Valkern. He fumbles with the sheet before veering of to the right. Why did they have to live so far away? He circles around a spiraling tower before landing. He ducks into the small alley before pulling on his cloak.

'First up, 83 Albedo Lane,' he thinks as he steps up to the door.

He pulls back the knocker and sharply taps on the door three times. Shuffling footsteps could be heard as the person approached the door. A man who looked like he was in his early twenties opened the door. He had light gray eyes with dark blonde hair, the bangs hanging over between his eyes.

"What do you want?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

"Furlan Church and Isabel Magnolia, residents of 83 Albedo Lane?" Drayce asked.

"Yes, that would be us. Who are you?" Furlan asked tilting his head to the side.

"Furlan who's at the door?" asked a girl's voice from inside the house.

"..."

"What's your business here?" Furlan asked. "If it isn't anything reasonable, kindly leave our property."

"Furlan, you're too serious," Isabel said, swinging around the door frame. "Who are you?"

"You two are exactly like I remember you," Drayce said, taking off his hood. "Always suspicious of everyone. Can't I greet an old friend?"

"Dr-Drayce?" Furlan asks surprised.

"The one and only. Aren't you going to invite me in?" he asks, a smile on his face.

Barley finishing his sentence, Isabel takes his arm and drags him in, Furlan closing the door behind them.

"You are going to tell us what has happened," Isabel said, throwing him onto the couch.

"Not everything," Furlan corrects her. "Just the important parts. I'm sure you wouldn't have come all the way out here just to say hi."

"You're no fun," Isabel says, pouting.

"First thing first, Levi is fine. Well, the last time I saw him anyways. Anyways, how's the afterlife?" Drayce asks.

"Fine. A little boring but we could ask the same thing about you," Furlan replies.

"Oh, counting down the days until I get out of here," Drayce says.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Isabel asks confused. "We're dead."

Furlan eyes widen as he figure out what Drayce means.

"Come to Palkin Yard tonight if you want to find out," Drayce smirks before teleporting out of their house.

"Uh, Furlan. Is he going crazy?" Isabel asks, staring at the spot where he was just sitting at.

Drayce walks down Palkin Road towards the empty grass lot. A single bench sits alone in the yard, a single occupant sitting on it. Drayce walks slowly to the bench and takes a seat besides the boy.

"I miss down there," Drayce tells the boy.

"Yeah, so do I," the freckled boy says, looking up to the stars. "The world is so big anything can happen. It's just hard to imagine that some of your closest friends would betray you."

"I know what you mean. I've been there," Drayce replies. "How'd you get here?"

"Titans."

"I'm sorry. Did you fight well?" Drayce asks.

A dry laugh escapes the boy. "Barely. My gear was taken off by some of my friends. One of them had a boyfriend. I can only imagine how it feels for him if he finds out," he says.

"Eh, it wasn't too bad. Annie did join our side though. Imagine how I felt when I found out about Bertholt and Reiner," Drayce says.

Marco turns to stare at him in shock. Drayce takes off his hood and turns to his friend.

"Believe me, look at where the results got me," Drayce said.

"Wha? How?" Marco stutters. "Don't tell me they killed you?!"

"Whaaat?" Drayce asked, his turn to be confused.

"Annie. Reiner forced her to take off my gear. He said he would kill you if she didn't," Marco said. "They killed you?!"

"Oh, naw. I sacrificed myself to save the rest of the gang after Reiner and Bertholt revealed themselves," Drayce said. "Used the rest of my titan's power but don't expect me to stay here forever. I got a life to live and so do you. You coming?"

"Wha..?!"Marco's mouth only got bigger and bigger but nevertheless nodded in agreement.

"Good. Meet me back here tonight," Drayce says before flashing away.


	29. Chapter 28

**A/N: Holy shit, I am so sorry. I lost track of uploading days and now I'm late. Great. Now I'll just drop this chapter here to stop you guys from killing me, although school's already doing a pretty good job with that. Happy reading! :) (Minor edits in the re upload.)  
**

The crickets chirped as Farlan and Isabel walked across the grass of Palkin Yard. The lamplights flickered eerily as they made their way to the lone bench.

"I sometimes don't understand him, really," Isabel complains.

"Are you that slow? You must at least have heard of the stories from being here so long," Furlan says, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Uh, still don't understand," Isabel quipped before sitting down on the bench.

"You're impossible," Furlan grumbles. "Hey, who's that?"

The two peer into the dark streets. Sure enough, someone else was walking towards them. It was a boy, no older than fifteen it seemed. His face was dotted with freckles, his eyes looking around nervously.

"Oi, who are you?" Isabel asks, shouting out and waving her hands in the air.

"You might want to be quiet. There are other souls trying to sleep," Furlan muttered.

"I was told to come here by a friend of mine. Oh, I'm Marco, Marco Bott. Nice to meet you," Marco says, shaking Furlan's hand.

"Say Marco, who is this friend of yours?" Furlan asked.

"Oh, you probably don't know him. His name is Drayce," Marco replies, taking a seat next to them. "What brings you out here?"

"That's funny. Drayce came by and told us to wait for him here too," Isabel said. "He should be here soon."

Marco nods in acknowledgement before he started to fiddle with the hem of his shirt. A sudden flash of white startles the trio as Drayce materializes in front of them.

"Good, you guys came! I see you already introduced yourselves to each other," Drayce said brightly.

"So what's the deal little fella?" Furlan asked. "I suppose you didn't tell us to meet you here so we can have a tea party."

"No, we can do that later. But on a more serious note, do you know what the Guild is?" Drayce asks.

"Isn't it like the army of Valkern or something?" Marco asks.

"Close. It's actually the defenders of both Valkern and Paradis, the island below us," Furlan corrected.

"Yeah, we're that. The Guild essentially protects both realms from any wide scale attack, more specifically, supernatural ones. Take the Earth Devil for example," Drayce says, pacing back and forth. "The Guild currently only consists of six members. It's incomplete and just as there are the nine titans, there must be nine commanders. I'm offering you three a place in the Guild."

Drayce stops pacing and turns to his friends, letting the words sink in.

"You want us to join the Guild?" Furlan asks.

"I wouldn't choose anyone else," Drayce replies. "We'll all get a second chance at life in exchange for our services. So, are you in or out?"

"I'm in," Isabel says, stepping forward.

"So am I," Marco said deftly.

"Me too," Furlan said.

A smile formed at Drayce's lips. Taking out three white pendants, he put one in each of their hands. The three immediately threw them on, returning the smile.

"Meet me at the from gates of the main tower. We'll start your trial after you get there," Drayce says quickly before disappearing.

* * *

"EREN," Hange screamed as his titan form hit the ground in a heap of flesh and smoke.

Moblit and Levi looked on at the cliff, staring at Eren's half complete titan form. His body was hanging out of the nape uselessly.

"Eren! If you can hear us, give us a signal," Hange shouted. "If not, we're getting you out of there!"

"Hey Hange. I can't tell if it's because you're blind but do you notice something different about him this time. He's missing some flesh and not even 10 meters tall this time. Also, his butt's hanging out," Levi snapped.

"I know that! He's not moving. We're done for today," Hange shouts, swinging down the cliff towards Eren's titan.

Hange ran around the motionless titan and began to make her way to Eren.

"Oh my god. You are incredibly hot right now," Hange yelped as she scalded her hand trying to pull Eren out.

"Hange! Stop it already, he's bleeding! Let me do it," Mikasa exclaimed.

"Holy! His face is so messed up right now! It's like him and his titan are fusing! Moblit, get a sketch of this to compare to his old face," Hange exclaimed.

"Squad Leader! You're too getting carried away," Moblit exclaimed panicked.

"Get him out of there now," Annie shouts, swing down her swords, severing the connection between Eren and his titan. "I warned you about this and you didn't listen."

"Uhh, oops. I messed up again," Hange muttered. "Testing complete! All troops withdraw from the premises immediately!"

"Come on, we need to get him inside the carriage," Rachel said, floating Eren's body towards the cart. "Levi said Historia will be with us as well."

"Oh look, she's here," Armin said.

"Sorry, I'm late," Historia said. "Captain Levi told me to let you guys know that we need to leave here soon. The premises have already been searched for any witnesses."

"Great! Thanks Historia. Let's head back," Hange said brightly.

Historia, Armin, and Mikasa clambered into the cart, sitting next to Hange. Peeking her head out, she began to look around the surrounding forest.

'The smoke that goes up when Eren transforms is still too obvious. We can't do this under the radar. We need to assume they're watching us from someplace,' Hange thinks cautiously as the cart rumbles off.

* * *

"Wait, seriously! I slept for the entire day?" Eren asked shocked. "I can't believe it."

"Well, at least you're back to normal. Do you remember anything about the experiments we ran?" Hange asked.

"No, not at all. My memories really fuzzy. How did it go?" Eren asked.

"Well, we didn't see anything like Annie's ability happen while we ran the tests. We even checked the carcass after you ejected yourself and found nothing," Hange said.

"Really? Not a single thing!" Eren said, slightly upset.

"I mean, I did tell you. Only a few have the power to harden," Annie says.

"Anyways, this was how the experiments went. The first time you transformed, you were a full 15 meter class. You were to harden your body to block of a cave entrance as a stand in for Wall Maria but seeing that nothing happened, we moved on to other tests," Hange begins.

"I remember the plans but not the results," Eren said.

"Well, you seemed to be able to perform as you were ordered fairly well. You could perform the tasks given to you, such as waving your arms while hopping. We tried to have you talk but the way your mouth and tongue are makes it likely that it wasn't built for speech. You managed a few sounds that Your motor skills weren't that bad either. You managed to construct a house out of logs quickly which we could probably have you do as emergency shelter," Hange said brightly.

"Good job, you figured out we can go camping," Levi drawls.

"After a while, you started to write on the ground as a means of communication. You wrote that you couldn't harden yourself and appeared to go crazy. After an hour or so, you began to writhe like you were in pain. The all of a sudden you wrote 'What my father did to me.' Do you have any idea what you could've meant?" Hange asked.

"No, I don't. I know my dad gave me my powers but not anything else," Eren confessed.

"Well, after that, you exited your titan, presumably upon your own choice. You rested for about thirty minutes and tried again. This time, you appeared as an 13 meter class and a hungry one at that because you ate the house you built earlier. None of us could get you to understand us and after that you exited your titan once more," Hange said. "Then you rested for another half hour before trying a third time but this time, you were less than 10 meters tall. Your titan was so incomplete, you weren't able to stand or move at all. We had to retrieve you and we brought you here."

"So in other words, it was a complete failure," Eren mumbled, his mood plummeting.

"Exactly. It was an utter disappointment to us. Everyone here is moping around because of that. Time is running out. For all we know, titan could sprout out the ground like weeds tomorrow so more or less, we're in a sticky situation," Levi began.

"Hold on, Eren tried his best-" Mikasa began before getting cut off by Levi.

"We know that. But is it important to know he tried his best? The only thing that does matter is the fact that he can't seal Wall Maria's hole. We only have her for the next 6 years," Levi said, jerking a thumb towards Annie. "Then what? They could breach the walls again and humanity can't do anything about because you can't harden your body."

"But just blaming Eren for his failures-" Mikasa started, but once again interrupted by Levi.

"Hold on a minute. I'm not blaming him here. Smell the air right now. It stinks to high heaven and I've been breathing this filthy air ever since I was born. Until a few years ago, the air outside the walls I breathed was fresher. Although it's hell beyond the gates, that's freedom," Levi finished.

"In other words, Levi was trying to say that we found out you can't harden your titan and that was a success. We found out the limitations to your titan and its abilities. The smoke it gives off will eventually come back and bite us but we got information we could work with," Hange said positively.

Eren looks down, a grimace on his face. He clenched his hands into fists before slowly relaxing them.

'Why was I given this role? The one to save humanity, repaying the debts I owe isn't possible. But learning these facts gives me an edge at something new. For now, I'm powerless. For now. But why did I think about dad during the tests? Would I been to control my titan longer if I hadn't? Dad, what did you do?' Eren thinks, pictures of his father flashing before his eyes.

Suddenly, a girl appeared. Eren's eyes widened. She looked like Historia but her hair was jet black. A comb was in her hand as she untangled the knots in her hair.

'Is this a memory?! When was this?! Who's is it?! Argh,' Eren thinks, his hand raising to his temples.

"You're still weak right now. Don't push it to hard," Mikasa said, steadying Eren.

"As for what we should do next is pretty clear. Annie and Moblit need to work on deciphering that book. We'll go after the wallists because they are hiding information about the titans in the wall. We also received word that Erwin has arrived in the royal capital. He should know something about the Reiss family and the royal bloodline," Hange says. "Until we get more information, we're staying put."

* * *

Erwin looked out the carriage window, watching as a group of five children rob a man of his bag. He turned back to Nile before speaking.

"There are child gangs now? I didn't know it was that bad in the capital," Erwin simply said.

"It is that bad. The prisons are already overflowing. We don't have any space to throw them into so they're just left alone," Nile replied. "Why'd you call me anyways? Can't handle a royal trial by yourself? I'm not in the mood to talk about our training days."

"Cut me some slack Nile," Erwin replied with a small grin.

"When you got back, I was sure you were going to die an early death. You're arm is waiting for you on the other side. Do you still believe in those foolish delusions you spouted as a kid?" Nile asked.

"Those delusions are turning into a reality Nile. Look around you," Erwin said.

"Well whoop de doo," Nile replied sarcastically.

"On a more serious note Nile, are you aware that Minister Nick was killed by the First Interior Squad?" Erwin asked.

"No actually. We have no control of them and they have no superiors so they basically do whatever they want," Nile said shocked. "Even we don't know what they are up to."

"We know they want Eren. It appears that they haven't found out about Annie Leonhart yet. What cause is great enough for you to kill to get him?" Erwin asked.

"We simply follow our orders from above. We are the face of the Military Brigade but the Interior Squad is on the other side. They're communication is a completely different chain than ours so we have no way of contacting them. They also don't have an official higherup to answer to so they basically have a free pass to do anything they wish to do," Nile replied. "But still why have me tell you something you already know?"

"What do you think Nile. Will handing Eren over truly end the crisis inside the walls?" Erwin asked seriously.

"It isn't my place to answer that. All I do is execute the orders that are given to me," Nile answered, an uneasy feeling growing inside him.

"By the way, how's Marie doing. I heard a third is on the way now," Erwin asked, changing the topic.

"Erwin, learn to stay on topic," Nile said, glancing over to the Survey Corps commander.

"If memory serves, you wanted to join the Survey Corps with me. But you fell for a girl at our favorite bar and chose to protect her instead," Erwin said, mildly amused.

"Yeah, that's right. But still, I don't regret betraying you all and shamelessly staying alive. I'm proud to have a family," Nile said, a ghost of a smile forming.

"We respected you. You were able to live a life we couldn't but just because you're protecting your position and following orders doesn't necessarily mean you're protecting your family, Nile," Erwin said. "Our tiny world is changing. Hope or despair? Who makes that choice, who will choose, and who will you trust?"

"Erwin, what are you up to?" Nile asked.

"You know me. Another gamble, the one thing I'm good at. I simply wanted to give you a warning. I'll leave you here," Erwin replied, opening the carriage door as it slowed to a stop. "Oh and one last thing, I was quite taken by Marie as well."

"Hah!" Nile laughed. "You think I didn't know that? You chose titans over Marie! There's got to be something wrong with you Erwin!"

He looked back and gave a grin before Nile closed the door. He watched as the carriage roll off into the distance.

* * *

"Megan should be back soon. For now, try these on," Ymir said, handing Furlan, Isabel, and Marco each a cloak.

"So soon? They haven't even started the trial," Drayce says, watching from the sidelines.

"If you chose them, they're good enough," Ymir replied.

A flash of white appeared just outside the doorway of the office. Taking her helmet off, Megan walked in.

"I heard it all. Erwin gave us enough information. My prediction is that the MP Interior Squad should be moving in on them tonight," Megan reported.

"Thanks Megan. They'll be ready soon. I'll send them over to Drop 7 once we're done here," Drayce said.

Megan nodded before walking out the room. Drayce stood up, his armor clinking as he walked to the trio.

"So your trial! The Interior MP Squad is moving in on the Survey Corps tonight. Your task is to help escort Levi and Hange as well as the rest of them to safety," Drayce said. "We don't want any unnecessary casualties."

"It's time. We need to let them know about us. Send them a message while you're at it," Ymir said, handing a crystal tube to Drayce. "Write a message to them."

Daryce takes the tube and stows it away for later. He turns and exits the room.

"Now it is important that we keep our identities a secret. Do not tell them no matter what," Ymir said. "You have the next few hours to yourselves. I suggest bringing some living necessities from your old houses."

"Why? Isn't this like our application or something?" Isabel asks confused.

"Oh no, I've made up my mind. It's your first mission now," Ymir said before exiting the room as well, leaving the trio to their thoughts.

Three hours later, Furlan, Isabel and Marco report back to the main tower. Daryce is already waiting for them.

"Ready?" he asks them with a smile.

"I guess so. I mean it's the first time in a while since we've been there," Furlan says.

"Take this. Give it to Annie when you finish the mission," Drayce said, giving the crystal tube to Marco. "Anyways our drop docks are in the back. Let's go!"

The four of them jog down the hall to the last hangar door. Drayce forces it open revealing two rows of blue pads. Each of the pads are labeled with a number.

"Number 7 takes you to the forest at the outskirts of the building. Alright, good luck!" Drayce says before waving his hand.

The blue pad disappeared and in its place, a hole appeared. Looking down, Furlan could see the clouds below them. Tiny trees dotted the mountain sides.

"Go, go, go!" Isabel yells, pushing Furlan into the hole before jumping in herself.

Marco simply shrugged before pencil dropping down. Drayce leans forward, watching as their tiny figures accelerate downwards until they completely vanish from sight.


	30. Update

Hi guys! I know this isn't the usual blabbering of an author's note and then a chapter but hear me out. Most of you guys if you've seen my bio recently or just seen my author notes in general will know I'm doing this story for a year long school project which is due on April 5, this Thursday. If you're panicking about the fact that I'm going to end this story just to fit it with the time constraint, don't be because I'm not going to. If you checked my bio or or just seen my author notes, you will also know I have a second account, ATypicalAuthor. That account is where I will post the cut off version of this story with an alternate ending. I'm sure most of you guys can figure what I'm going to do regarding Drayce and the others based on my recent chapters. The cut off version will essentially end at the Return to Shiganshina arc just so you guys know. I've also updated my previous chapters to be equally as long or _longer_ than before so be on a lookout for that if you are doing rereads. I didn't want you guys to get the wrong idea when you saw that random account with my story on it, so just know that it's also my account. I've also changed the title to the story back to the original one but I don't know why so let me know if you liked the original title, Dragonhearted, or the current one, Of Monsters and Men.

If there's one thing I dislike, it's an uncompleted story. I find it sad that most authors have a really good beginning chapters that have potential but just lose their enthusiasm as time goes on and I'm sure many of you can relate to this feeling. So don't worry, I won't leave any story I start unfinished and the story on this account _will not_ be as short as the one on my second account. This is my promise to you, loyal readers. Thank you for understanding and I'll see you all in the next update! :)


	31. Chapter 29

**A/N: Hi guys! So back with chapter 29 although you may or may not have read it on the other story. Wait, actually, lemme check. *Switches over to other account to check. Okay, so I see you guys didn't read ahead. Now here's the chapter! Happy reading!  
**

Furlan crashes onto the forest floor, just in time to see Isabel land on top of him.

"Man that is not far at all," Isabel said. "I thought it was a skydrop."

"Well apparently it just teleports you to several feet above ground level," Marco said, dropping down next to Furlan.

"Well, let's get a move on it. The MPs should be here any minute now," Furlan says. "Let's get some high ground."

The trio flash off to a nearby drop in the terrain. They lie down on their stomachs, keeping a low profile.

"Can you see what's going on?" Isabel asks.

"It looks like they're getting ready to move. Levi must've received a forewarning somehow," Marco said, looking through the telescope.

"Well, we better move fast because about twenty of their new best friends just showed up," Farlan muttered, watching a group stalk the nearby perimeter of the house. "Get your armor on and let's go."

The cloaks wrap themselves around the trio, hardening into lucindia armor. Marco motions for Furlan to take the left and Isabel to clear the back door. The two nod and they flash off.

'Seems like they're taking it slow,' Furlan thinks as he watches from the roof.

Behind him, Isabel sneaked towards the backdoor while Marco made his way towards a group of three men turning the corner. He slams a fist into the last man's temple before knocking the other two unconscious.

"Isabel, two of them have already reached the back door. Clear them out and me and Furlan will clear and escape route," Marco whispers to Isabel.

"Got it," Isabel whispers back.

Peering down from the roof, she could see two people making their way towards the door, one man one woman. The woman tries the door but it's locked. The man stands next to her on guard. Isabel swings down and kicks both of them in the head, rendering them unconscious. A slight scuffle could be heard inside as the person moves towards the window. She catches an emerald green eye peering out at her and her handiwork before disappearing from the glass.

"Captain Levi! A woman took out the two at the door. What should we do?" Eren asked cautiously.

"She's the only one?" Levi asked, narrowing his eyebrows.

"It seems like it. Her armor is also made of lucindia, just like the man from that day. The same mark it on the shoulder piece," Eren replies.

"Ackerman, when I open the door, we take her down as fast as possible without attracting attention," Levi says. "We can't risk being seen."

"Yes sir."

Levi slowly opens the door wide before running outside, Mikasa at his heels but no one is there. He walks slowly, looking at his surroundings before peeking out the corner. He caught sight of a crystalline boot whipping just out of sight.

"Looks like she wasn't interested in us," Levi evaluates. "Hange, any more of the MPs?"

"We have a squad of five presumably on each front corner of the house. A small squad of two is walking down here though," she replies. "Looks like we'll have to engage them to reach the back of the stables."

A small clicking sound draws the attention of the two MPs as well as the group. The two shout , pointing towards the east side of the forest, presumably where the sound came from. A group of five along with the two rushed into the forest.

"Looks like someone else is with them," Armin says. "There's now the possibility that we're looking at a group effort rather than the act of the one man."

Rachel peered around the right side of the house along with Sasha to see the right corner group lying down as well.

"Sir, seems like someone else took down the right hand side," William says.

"Most likely a team of three. But why do this? Its almost as if they knew about this and wanted to help us," George mused.

"Doesn't matter right now. Gaylent, get us to the forest now," Levi says.

George stands back and opens a portal into the west side of the forest. The group hustle through, only to be stopped by an armored figure on the other side.

"Crap," George said.

A silence fills the forest except for the chirping crickets. Mable was the first to break the silence.

"Who are you and why are you helping us?" Mable asks.

"We have received our orders to ally ourselves with you. Take this," he said, tossing the crystal tube to Annie. "A message from our commander to you, Annie."

"How do you know my name?" Annie demands, pocketing the tube. "Who's your commander?"

"That is not for you to know yet," a distorted woman's voice said behind them in a tree.

"Why not? We have the right to know who's helping us at least right?" Historia ventured.

"You will find out in due time," a second man said, appearing to their left.

A shouting comes from behind them at the house. The group of seven seems to have spotted them.

"All of you, get out of here now! We'll cover your escape," the man in the middle said before dissapearing in a flash of white.

The other two follow in suit. A rustling in the trees caught Levi's attention. He turns to see all three of them in trees around them.

"What are you doing?! Go!" the woman hissed.

The Survey Corps turned and fled into the forest, leaving Furlan, Isabel, and Marco to hold off the MPs.

"Isabel, take out the last two. Me and Marco will take out the other five like before," Furlan instructed.

Isabel nodded and swung down, kicking the last two in the back of their heads, sufficiently downing the rear guard. The five turned around to see Isabel with their comrades at her feet. They charge her but Marco and Furlan drop down, rendering all of them unconscious.

"We're done here. Let's go back," Furlan says, his armor changing back into fabric.

Marco and Isabel both nod in agreement. The trio teleport away, leaving the now peaceful forest behind.

* * *

"How'd it go?" Drayce asked upon their return.

"Went quite smoothly. We just told them we had allied ourselves with them and deflected any questions they asked us," Marco reported back.

"Good job. I'm pretty sure Ymir will give you your wings tomorrow. Apparently as the commander I have to oversee the games at the colosseum. You can come if you want. The rest of us are already there," Drayce offered.

"Yeah sure. Never been to the colosseum before. It's too far from where we used to live. I heard there was a special event tonight too. They announced it like a week ago," Marco said.

"Come on then! Front row seats!" Isabel shouted running towards the gates.

"Wait, you know where it is right?" Drayce shouted after Isabel but she was already long gone.

"She never changes," Furlan grumbles before disappearing after her.

"I suppose we should go too then," Marco said, a grin on his face.

Drayce returned the smile before teleporting away, followed shortly by Marco. Inside the colosseum was huge. Much larger than the one built centuries ago by an ancient race of people called the Romans or something. Dopey name. Drayce landed at the official's box where his friends were already waiting.

"Come on! The announcer's waiting for you to let them start," Boone said.

Drayce nodded before whispering into the ear of a stout man. He nodded and he began to shout through the megaphone in his hands.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! TONIGHT WE HAVE A GRAND SELECTION OF ENTERTAINMENT FOR ALL OF YOU! PLEASE, SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE SHOW!" the announcer shouted.

The crowd roared in response, the sounds of approval reverberating throughout the massive arena. The games were usually something comedic, maybe an obstacle course or a game show. It never appealed to Drayce but not that he didn't like it, he never really saw the point of it.

"Hey Drayce. Wake up," Ivan said, shaking his friend's shoulder.

"Huh?" Drayce grunted unintelligibly. "What?"

"It's the special event and take a look at the roster. We just found out," Ivan said, handing Drayce a piece of paper.

He stared at the last event before looking back at Ivan.

"Is Ymir serious or is she pulling my leg?" he asked Ivan.

"I dunno, but you should probably prepare for your fight," Ivan said.

"AND NOW FOR OUR SPECIAL EVENT! THE CLASH OF HUMANITY AND TITANS! TONIGHT, WE HAVE ONE OF THE BIGGEST TITANS WE COULD GET OUR HANDS ON. STANDING AT A MASSIVE 25 METERS TALL, WE HAVE "THE BEAST"!" the announcer shouted.

The lights focused on the center stage. The massive room in which props were usually held burst open and the titan lumber out. It was huge. It's arms were abnormally big. It resembled something that of a gorilla. Its beady eyes swept across the sea of people. Suddenly, huge crystal poles shot out of the manholes from the floor. A magic film started to span across connecting the poles, forming a magic barrier.

"AND NOW FOR THE CHALLENGER! HE ARRIVED TO OUR GLORIOUS WORLD NOT BUT HALF A YEAR AGO. HE WAS HANDPICKED BY LADY YMIR HERSELF TO BE THE CHAMPION. HE IS THE NEW LEADER OF THE GUILD, THE HOLDER OF THE VICTORY TITAN. PLEASE GIVE IT UP FOR DRAYCE ACKERMAN!" the announcer screamed.

The lights turned to point at Drayce, nearly blinding him. The crowd screamed in adoration as they turned towards the boy.

"PLEASE PREPARE YOURSELVES!" the announcer shouted. "THE BATTLE BEGINS IN THREE, TWO, AND ONE!"

Drayce leaps off the edge of his compartment and flew to the center of the stage. He allowed himself to drop down, shifting into his titan as he did so. The familiar flesh cocoon surrounded his body but something was off. He felt a new weight added to his back, hard lucindia completely covered him like a coat of armor, very similar to the one he wore. He landed with a terrific crash sending plumes of dust everywhere.

It was the very least to say it was majestic. Crystal armor adorned his new titan form. He was shorter now, about 15 meters. He had no face, instead was a slate of smooth lucindia like a mask. For some odd reason, a large crystal plate was attached to his back. He slowly stood up. His new form was lighter thanks to the absence of the heavy metal that his body once held.

"Hello, it seems that our goodbye was to soon," a familiar voice spoke.

"My god Landon, never thought I'd hear you again," Drayce replied.

"What'd you expect? A singing eagle?" Landon asked sarcastically.

"Kinda half expected to hear my own voice for some reason, no offense or anything," Drayce said.

"None taken," Landon assured. "We have a new body and a challenger it seems."

"Yeah, and what's up with this plate on my back?" Drayce asked, looking behind him.

"Hmm, it seems to be held together by a central plank. There's a part where you can grab. You might have to release it yourself though," Landon observed.

"How'd I do that?" Drayce asked, tugging at the handle.

"How would I know? Try releasing a back muscle or something," Landon suggested.

Drayce could feel several unused muscles in his back. He began to flex each of them one by one, hoping to release the plate. Finally, with a loud clunk and a plume of steam, the plate came loose in his hands. He brought it before him to observe it. It looked like a broadsword, a massive one at that. It was about thirteen meters in height, almost as tall as he was. Drayce whistles in appreciation.

"Dang, this is one nice sword on my titan," Drayce says, swinging it once.

The end nicked the titan in front of him sending it into a rage. It roared in anger and began pounding the floor before charging at him.

"You should probably avoid that," Landon noted.

"Ya think?" Drayce shouts, sidestepping but nevertheless getting smacked away.

He landed uncomfortable on his back, the two plates now digging into his shoulder bones.

"Seriously?! What are these thi- Oh my god," Drayce said excited, flexing the plates on his back.

Slowly but surely they began to extend outwards towards either direction. The crowd murmured, the excitement growing. The plates now fully extended reflected the lights, revealing two dazzling, crystal wings.

"Oh my god," Tom said, looking at his friend's new display. "Okay, now this is totally worth it."

"Yeah! Kick his ass, Drayce!" Isabel shouted.

He picked up his fallen sword and began flapping his powerful wings. He lifted himself off the ground until he was at eye level with the behemoth.

"These feel about the same as the wings I have on my real body. Should be easy enough to control," he said.

The titan made a swipe at him. Instinctively, he whipped his wings around him to form a barrier but the hit never came. Drayce lowered his guard to take a look. The monster before him was howling. Several blades had embedded themselves along it's hands up to the hilt, or should he say feathers. He took a closer look at his wings. Yes, several of his longer feathers had already regrown. All of them had razor sharp edges, clearly deadly. Taking his broadsword in both hands, he swung at the titan with all his might. The blow sent the beast of a titan flying across the entire arena. It sailed through the air before crashing into the magic barrier. The crowd roared in approval as the groggy titan attempted to stand back up. Shaking its head, it let out an furious roar and began to barrel towards Drayce. It lept forwards, baring its teeth into a snarl. Time seemed to slow down as Drayce watched the titan fly towards him.

"Time to end this," Drayce said, tightening his grip on his broadsword.

"I agree," Landon said mildly. "Time to see what this sword can do."

Sidestepping, Drayce avoided the flying tackle. He raised his sword and brought it down with as much force as he could muster. The great blade cleaved the titan in two, its upper body flying off without its legs. The disabled titan crawls its way towards Drayce, it's lower half steaming. Drayce looks at the titan before plunging the great sword into its nape. The titan's movements ceased as its entire body steamed. Picking up the rapidly decomposing titan, he raised it into the night sky. The crowd went crazy, stamping and clapping at the sight.

"WHAT A SPECTACULAR FIGHT! THIS CONCLUDES TONIGHT'S GAMES! WE HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL NEXT TIME," the announcer shouted into his megaphone.

Drayce exited his titan, the body beginning to steam and disappear. The magic barrier around him disappeared, the poles falling back into the manholes. Flapping his wings, he flies back to the top compartment and collapses in his seat.

"Dude, sweet new titan!" Ivan crowed.

"That was awesome," Tom said. "Your sword was huge! You completely obliterated that thing!"

"Boys and their toys," Megan sighed. "You guys never change."

"Uh, Drayce," Christie said, shaking his shoulder. "Oh geez, he's out cold."

"Seriously?! I swear, this guy can fall asleep anywhere," Marco said, shaking his head. "He was like this during training too. He just sleeps whenever he wants to."

"Come on. We need to take him back to his room," Furlan said.

The rest of the group stares at Furlan.

"Dude, do you know how much he weighs?" Ivan asked, nudging Drayce with his foot.

"Yeah he knows," Megan said slyly. "That's why he volunteered to help you guys carry him back."

"Wha- Come on!" Boone protests. "He weighs like a million pounds."

"Then y'all better hop to it," Isabel said cheekily before vanishing in a flash.

"Seriously Isabel, not you too," Furlan groaned.

"I would help but I have kitchen duty with Megan," Christie said.

"It's eleven at night you liar!" Ivan says accusingly.

"Bye!" Christie squeaks before disappearing.

"Yeah, you did make a mess cooking dinner, Tom," Megan said. "Have fun!"

With that, she vanished, leaving the boys of the group. Furlan stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Well, I think we should hurry," Marco said. "Almost everyone's left the arena."

The rest of the boys grumble as they each take one of Drayce's limbs and begin to fly out, carrying their sleeping friend.

* * *

"We're lucky they were there to help us," Hange said, pushing up her glasses.

She looks at the rest of the cadets, huddled around small fires. She turns back to their own fire and rubs her hands together for warmth. Across from her, Annie takes out the small slim tube she was given and inspects it. It was made from lucindia, just like everything else the group of vigilantes had. Pulling off the cap, she takes out the small slip of paper. A silver ring falls out along with the note. She frowns and picks it up, inspecting every nook and cranny. She digs around her pockets before returning to the note and ring. She fiddles around with the ring, orienting it the right way. With a flick of her thumb, a hidden blade was revealed. There was no doubt about it, it was the ring her father had given her. She had left it back at the old Survey Corps headquarters but how did the man, or his commander she should say, get his hands on it? Thankful for the return of the trinket, she slips it on.

The note, it seemed wasn't very long, maybe just a couple of words. It was written in black heavy ink.

"What does it say? Anything useful?" Hange asks, eager to learn the contents.

"No, not really," Annie says blandly.

She slips the note back into her pocket. She could feel her heart thump so hard, she swore almost everyone could've heard it. The six word message was still ricocheting around in her head.

 _ **I'll be back. Wait for me.**_


	32. Another Update

**A/N: So you guys might probably be annoyed as shit with my author notes but this one is one of my more important ones. I'm going on a hiatus. It's not that I'm sick of writing of the story, it's more of a mandatory hiatus because my school is dragging us to Peru for ten days. I'm sorry I haven't finished chapter 30 yet because I've had to haul my lazy ass to go pack and I'm still packing even though the flight is at 4:30 in the morning tomorrow. Our teacher aren't going to allow electronics on the trip besides our phones and there most likely isn't going to be any WiFi so my progress will be slowed. I might try and tap out the next chapter on offline google docs on my phone but that's gonna take like two or three all nighters and yes, I probably don't have a life. Go figure. But yeah, just know I haven't forgotten you guys, insert some sentimental writing and stuff.**

 **Oh, one more thing before I go, I'm gonna change the cover photo soon once I finish the second option. Speaking of options, here are the two. A drawing I did or a metal cut out I'm making of the Survey Corps logo. Let me know which one you want to see. Anyways, I gotta go and finish packing. I'll get back to you guys in about ten days! See you guys then!**


	33. Chapter 30

**A/N: Well shit. I'm like what? Four days late? Better now than never I guess. The day after I got back from Peru, I replaced up to chapter 3 with the rewrite and I was working on adding back the swear words and also I should be writing a history paper right now but who cares? Just read this chapter, and try not to banter me too much about being this late. Please. Also, I will be sporadically uploading the rewritten chapters as my schedule permits. Happy reading! :)  
**

Not a sound was emitted throughout the forest as the Survey Corps moved through the thicket of trees. A drop of water splashed onto Connie's head. The bald boy looked up as more drops of water fell from the sky.

"Looks like a storm's going to move in soon and from the looks of it, it's a big one," Hange noted, pulling up her hood as the water droplets began to fall harder and faster. "We might even get thunder and lightning tonight."

As if on cue, the rumbling of thunder resonates through the night sky. The Corps looks up in silence, watching the arcing bolts of electricity.

"Come on, let's go. We can't afford to gape at lights while we still need to reach the district," Levi ordered. "Keep your eyes peeled and make sure you didn't miss anything important."

"Yes sir!"

The group continues their path, looking around warily. Their eyes flicking towards every small movement. Despite all this, they hadn't noticed a blood red bolt of lightning striking down on the earth.

* * *

Keji and his fellow friends stared out of the window gloomily. The rain pattered onto the roof of HQ as rain leaked from the castle ceiling. A bright flash of red struck the earth just outside the building, scaring the soldiers.

"What was that?!"

"Relax, it's lightning," Keji responded in a lax tone.

"No man! I've seen lightning and it ain't ever red! Looked like something from hell!"

Keji sighed and turned around to face his subordinates who were currently freaking out.

"Doesn't matter. You two are relieved of duty. Tell the other two to switch watch," Keji ordered, herding the two men out.

Outside, the patch of earth was sizzling, and a glowing red was emitted from the dirt, fading away. A few moments later, the dirt began to shift, moving as something burrowed it's way out.

A decaying hand shot out of the earth, clenching into a fist. The second one soon followed. The hands pushed on the ground, pulling and heaving itself up and out. Dirt fell out of its hair as it shook its head.

Various parts of the body was already decayed, right to the bone. A single red eye peered out of the eye sockets. Standing up, it turned around and looked longingly behind him.

 _ **"** ** _Heh, h_ eh, heh. You can never escape my grasp," **_he rasped, staring at the tombstone. _**"** **Because mark my words Ackerman, wherever you are, I will find you."**_

A red aura surrounds the body, funneling upwards to form a cloudy outline of an upper body and head. It let out a venomous laugh before disappearing.

The corpse ran towards the doors of the castle, bursting through without even checking his speed.

"What?! Intruder! Take him down!"

 _ **"** **I welcome you to try,"**_ he rasped as he watched the five men charge him. _**"** **But the only thing you would achieve is your demise."**_

Giving a shouting cry, the men drove their blades forward. The sabers pierced through the body, coming out the back and sticky with a black tar like substance.

The corpse's eye glowed a deadly red as he wrenched the steel out, crushing it in the process. Claws slid out between his knuckles as he advances on his attackers.

With an animalistic snarl, he moved towards them with blinding speed. He slashed his claws down one and decapitates another. The remaining men turn and run as the corpse licks the fresh blood from his face hungrily.

 _ **"** **Your fear is so fresh and delightful. I can't wait to taste it,"**_ he crowed gleefully.

Leaping forwards, he drives the claws into the back of another man's skull and rips the fourth one in half. Keji stares at the bloody horror before him. That thing, it ripped apart his men like they were nothing. Both rage and fear coursed through his veins.

'I have to warn the commander!' he thought as he stumbled backwards. 'This thing will wreck havoc everyw-'

Looking down in surprise, Keji watched as blood bloomed from the wounds in his chest. The demon smiled and pushed the injured man down to the ground. Leaning in until his face was mere centimeters from his victim's face, he teasingly poked at it with his fingers.

 _ **"** **I will find him. This body shall serve enough purpose. None of you shall survive,"**_ he rasped.

With that, Drayce's corpse drove his claws into Keji's eyes, drowning out the screams of pain and terror.

* * *

Drayce woke with a start as lightning cracked and flashed outside his room. His breathing was heavy and body covered with cold sweat.

He looked around his dark room, his eyes landing on the mirror. A fleeting glimpse of red in his eyes faded as soon as he set eyes on it.

"Tomorrow," he muttered. "I have to be there."

He rubbed his eyes tiredly and fell backwards snoring.

* * *

The bells rang early in the morning, signaling the arrival of the Survey Corps. The odd band walked through tiredly, dragging their feet as they did so.

It soon became apparent that many of the civilians were staring at them with pointed and disgusted looks.

"Come on. Ignore them," Levi mutters. "We have our orders from Erwin."

"Erwin?! He can go to hell!" a man spat. "Ordering more of our friends and family to their deaths!"

"We have great trust in him. Ever since he took over, we've made progress-" Hange began before getting cut off.

"Progress my ass! You couldn't do jack shit! My son died because of her!" another man yelled furiously, pointing to Annie. "Our wives and children are starving! If you had any decency, you would've disbanded long ago and killed her and that mutant bastard!"

"My brother died saving all of our lives, you prick," Mikasa snarled. "Insult him again and the main course will be human shish kabobs."

By now, an entire crowd had gathered around them. Levi simply stared back at them.

"Move aside," he said.

"What?! You think you have the decency to tell us what to do?!"

"Move aside!" Levi shouted pushing the man out of the way. "A cart is coming this way!"

The crowd stumbled back in surprise as two horses dragging a cart rockets past them. Two men in the cart reach over and grab the last two people before take a right and disappearing.

"Damn it! They got Ar- I mean Eren and Historia!" Sasha shouted.

"Right! We need to move now!" Levi ordered. "Chase after them!"

The peasants watched open mouthed as the Survey Corps grapples away after their kidnapped friends.

Peeking his head out, the corpse smiled and climbed out the window like a weird spider and began to stealthily follow them. Turning back to the crowd below, he grinned and put a finger to his mouth, signaling for silence before giving chase as well.

"Sir! We're approaching the target. It looks like they're slowing down," Connie reported.

"Good. Surround the building without giving away our position. We strike at the opportune moment," Levi replied.

Landing on the metal sheeted roof, Levi drew his swords. Rachel, George, William, and Mable land next to him, ready for action.

"You four. Engage when necessary. We cannot afford the public to know about you guys," Levi ordered. "When things get bad, get our men out of there as fast as possible."

The crew nodded and crept into position. Mable stationed herself next to Sasha, the latter wielding a bow and a quiver of arrows.

The squad watched tensely as the scene below them unfolded.

"Come on, I just want to hear your pretty voice again," a man said in an oily tone.

Across from Armin, Jean watched on awkwardly.

'Will I ever be done playing as that suicidal bastard's body double?' Jean thought as he developed an itch on his head.

"We got someone at our front gates! Halt!"

"Huh?" the man asked as he looked up.

A figure in a blood stained Survey Corps cloak was indeed approaching from the front door.

"What the hell?! Who the hell is he?!" Levi growled.

"Come to rescue your friends I see?" another man said standing up, drawing out a handgun. "Big mistake."

With a bang, the gun fired and the cloaked man's head was thrown back.

"You got him!"

Slowly, his head grotesquely bent back to normal with a squishing sound. The man spat something out to the floor. The men recoiled in shock as they stared at the bullet on the floor.

 _ **"** **Hello. Now die!"**_ the man snarled rushing forwards, tearing the first man in half with his bare hands. The blood rained from the two halves, staining the cloak further.

"Engage at your own discretion!" Levi shouted.

All around the warehouse, the combatants watched as more men descended downwards to join the fray.

Mikasa, Levi, and Annie immediately went for the cloaked man, swinging their swords forward. Ducking he immediately kicks Levi away. Grunting in pain, Levi gets back up.

 _ **"** **Mere mortals. Not even worth the effort to try and fight you,"**_ the man rasped in an oddly familiar voice.

"Good. Makes taking you down all the easier!" Mikasa shouted as she drop kicked him in the head.

Making something Mikasa would assume to be a grunt, the man was knocked to the ground, the blood stained hood slipping off.

 _ **"** **Do not push your luck,"**_ the man growled as he pushed himself up to face them once more. _**"** **I can easily crush you."**_

Levi, Mikasa, and Annie stared at the man in shock. It was Drayce, or what was left of him rather. A single red eye stared out of his sockets. His cheeks were sunken in and pale.

'No way! How can he be back?! He died! I saw it myself!' Levi wondered shocked.

Besides him, he could tell from the look of his cousin's face and Annie that they were thinking the same thing.

 _ **"** **Fools. This is only a shell of a former warrior. He shall serve my need until I find the one I seek,"**_ Drayce snarled.

A bright flash of white light appeared behind him and a figure completely covered in lucinda armor slashed at the demon. Hissing in pain, Drayce's shell retreated back.

 _ **"** **You!"**_ the possessed snarled.

"Me," the newcomer replied calmly.

 _ **"** **You have nerve showing up here. I personally will ensure that you won't make it back alive,"**_ Drayce threatened.

Sighing, the crystal soldier unslung the stolen katana and unsheathed it.

"I'm gonna be late to lunch for this," the man grumbled. "It's beef too."

Lashing out, the soldier swung his katana with blinding speed. The corpse simply blocked with it's arm and a chunk of its flesh was sheared off. Growling, the corpse's claws slid out and the two began a deadly dance.

"Ackerman, Leonhart, untie Arlert and Kirstein and get out of here," Levi yelled as he smashed the hilt of his sword into a thug's head.

Both Annie and Mikasa rush towards the center of the room where Jean and Armin were smacking their kidnappers with the chairs they were in.

"Annie! Get Jean, I'll get Armin," Mikasa shouted as she vaulted over a crate.

"Watch out!" Annie shouted.

Mikasa turned to see the merchant aim the gun at her and fire. Their crystal ally materialized next to her, deflecting the bullet upwards.

 _ **"** **Never turn your back to the enemy,"**_ Drayce's corpse snarled, slashing down on the man's back with his claws.

A muffled cry of pain could be heard as one of his wings were cut off. Golden blood ran down the armor from the wound. Mikasa stared back in shock. She simply couldn't comprehend why someone they barely knew would sustain injury instead of letting her take the bullet. From what Mikasa saw, it would've only hit her arm.

"Go!" the man shouted, barely fending of the attacks. "Cut them loose and get everyone out of here!"

Nodding, she ran to join Annie to untie Armin. Grabbing his waist, she launched her anchors towards the roof. The wire began to reel them upwards and before long, they were out.

"Captain! We need to retreat for now!" Mikasa shouted down towards her captain.

"Fine. Leonhart, Kirstein, grab the survivors and get out of here now!" Levi shouted. "Four Eyes, we're going!"

"Squad, retreat!" Hange called out.

Bursts of gas and clangs of metal filled the room as each member began to leave the premise.

"Return back to HQ!" Levi shouted. "We need to leave now!"

With a crash and a plume of dust, the warehouse wall collapsed as the crystal soldier was tossed out.

 _ **"** **You can't stop me. I will hunt you down, kill everyone that gets in my way, just like I did to those silly soldiers. Including them,"**_ the Devil growled pointing to the retreating form of the Survey Corps members.

"It's me you want, not them! Leave them out of this!" Drayce shouted.

" _ **Hit a soft spot did I? Perhaps maybe I should let you watch them die slowly at my hands,"**_ the Devil contemplated.

"No."

 _ **"** **I will hunt them down, kill them slowly while you watch the blood drip down your hands,"**_ the Devil taunted. _**"** **I will enjoy their screams of pain, relishing every moment of it."**_

"You fucker! If you lay a single finger on them, I swear-" Drayce whispered.

 _ **"** **Or perhaps, we can make a deal,"**_ the Devil purred.

"A deal? With the Devil? As in the 'sell you my soul' deal?" Drayce barked.

 _ **"** **Everything comes with a price. Give me what I seek and you shall receive a single request from me,"**_ the Devil spoke, circling Drayce like a shark.

"Why should I trust you?"

 _ **"** **It may be your final chance to protect your friends,"**_ he reminded.

Never in his life did he feel so torn. He was right. He was too powerful for him to take down. Drayce couldn't touch him even if he tried and he could easily kill all of them, Mikasa, Levi, and Annie. But on the other hand, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. With a trembling breath, he made his decision.

"Don't hurt any of them, that's all I ask," he croaked.

 _ **"** **I knew you would make the smart choice,"**_ he said, giving a grotesque smile. _**"** **Then we have a deal."**_

Drayce watched as the red aura rose from his corpse as it turned into dust. Swirling around him like a tornado, the sinister being shot straight into his chest. Gasping for air, he fell backwards as he felt the familiar force enter him.

'You will never even see any of them again, fucker. I swear I will find a way somehow,' Drayce thought as a menacing laughing filled his head.

A brilliant white flash consumed them both, taking them to the edge of the island by the sea. Snapping the cord to his necklace, he crushed the crystal at the end. Falling to his knees, he stares at the remains of the milky white stone before darkness consumed him entirely.

* * *

Megan stared at the spot her friend disappeared from. There was no trace of either of them. Slowly creeping out from her hiding place, she stared at the already scattering pile of dust. He had turned himself over to save them. Now god knows where he was and what he would do next. He was unstable, if not outright murderous. She could only hope that Drayce had teleported away far enough to isolate himself. Cloaking herself with an illusion, she teleports away to report the news.

The moment her feet hits solid ground, she takes of running towards Ymir's office. Bursting through the double doors, she sees Ymir, her daughters, Helos, and the rest of the Guild all gathered around the table.

"Megan, please take your seat," Ymir says gravely.

Out of breath, she simply nods before taking her place next to Isabel and Christie. The entire room is at a silence before Helos stands up and smashes his fist into the table, all while cursing a colorful string of words.

"Tell me we at least have a location," Helos growls frustrated.

"I'm afraid not. His stone was crushed a few moments he left," Maria replied. "I am unable to track him."

"He bought us some time. Best case scenario, just enough for us to plan our next few steps," Ymir informs, pacing back and forth.

"But we won't be able to do so because we don't know where to find him. If we wait for him to show up back at the walls, it might already be too late," Tom offers.

"Damn it! What was he thinking?!" Furlan shouts, equally as frustrated and distressed as anyone in the room.

"It is true. We don't have very many options per this scenario," Rose agrees.

"But you do have an option," a gruff voice calls from the door.

The group turns to see Charles accompanied by Logan walk into the room.

" _Perhaps maybe I can be of assistance,"_ a voice spoke in their minds as Charles simply gave a smile. " _After all, we can't leave him to fend for himself when the fate of this world rests in his hands."_


	34. Chapter 31

**A/N: Hey guys. I'm sorry for disappearing on all of you, and I shouldn't have without telling you all. I haven't uploaded in three freaking weeks. Things were a little rough, I had received news that one of my closest friends was involved in an accident and sadly passed away. I hope you guys can understand why I took this break.**

Water lapped the sandy beach, the sounds of waves crashing down on the shore as the tides advanced and receded. A little ways away, a limp body layed there, about three meters away from the shoreline. Drayce stirred as he came back into consciousness, his memories and mind swirling. He groaned and slowly blinked his eyes at the bright and harsh sunlight. As he sat up, he felt a stabbing pain in the palm of his hand. Raising it to eye level, he could see sharp shards of stone underneath his skin. He vaguely remembered smashing his teleportation stone into bits before fainting. Grimacing, he slowly pulled the shards out of his hands, watching the steam rise from his palm as the wounds healed.

Hauling himself up, he staggered towards the shore, staring at his reflection. A sinking feeling in his gut rose up as the scene flooded back to him. His hair was messy, sand occasionally falling from it as he raked his hand through them. His eyes, well, eye now, were disproportionate. His right eye gleamed the gold colour he had most of his life but his left eye, that was a different story. Red lines, much like the scars around his eyes when exiting his titan form, circled around the socket where a single red eye stared back at him.

" _ **Finally awake are we? Took you long enough."**_

Drayce shuddered at the voice that spoke in his head. "How long was I out for?"

" _ **I'd imagine about four days. You were smart enough to destroy your stone after we arrived here to stop them from locating you, I'll give you that."**_

Arriving here, the edge of the island Paradis. It was the only place he could think of far out enough to eliminate any possible chance of getting found. "I won't let you reach them."

" _ **Still don't trust me? I don't blame you, but I am tied to that deal."**_

Making a deal with the devil, something Drayce never thought would be on his bucket list. Then again, he already died so technically it would be a what? He wouldn't know. He ordered himself to move forward but his legs were yanked towards the nearby forest by an unknown force. He watched himself move as he had no control of his legs whatsoever.

" _ **We are now bound, I am part of you."**_

"If only you'd shut up," Drayce muttered as he let the Devil carry him into the forest. "Where are you taking me?"

" _ **I do not know. Inland I suppose,"**_ came the Devil's response. " _ **Somewhere that will offer concealment."**_

"Ow!" Drayce exclaimed as his forehead was slammed into a tree branch."You really aren't used to controlling a body are you?"

" _ **You would be too if you were asleep for a century."**_

* * *

 **Four Days Ago**

"Charles?" Ymir asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I am offering my assistance. I can help contact and teach him, but he must break free by himself," Charles explained.

"What is he doing here then?" Helos asked, nodding towards Wolverine.

"He's backup, I would assume," Maria answered crisply.

"We accept your help Charles, with much thanks," Ymir began. "But are you sure you can teach him to control _it_? It has not been used for thousands of years since the last war."

"I am confident that he will learn," Charles spoke calmly. "When I first felt his presence, it was stronger than that of the Great Titan. I am certain he can control it."

"You can't deny that. Kid's got potential," Wolverine grunted.

"Yeah, more than you," Helos muttered.

Logan simply growled in response to the biting remark. He wheeled Charles to the table before taking a seat himself.

"I propose we contact him when he is sleeping. His consciousness is most vulnerable then and the Devil cannot detect anything while Drayce is asleep," Sina proposed.

"Should we alert the Survey Corps?" Marco asked frowning. "They have the right to know, especially Annie, Mikasa, and Levi."

"Yeah, you can't just keep big bro in the dark about this," Isabel chimed in.

"Give them the last transmission, then come straight back. Logan, Charles, if you will, we need them to master their abilities and combat skills before the war," Ymir responded.

"Of course. Follow me. We will teach you about your gifts as soon as you are back. You three, follow Logan if you will," Charles offered, wheeling himself out of the room, Logan and the teenagers following close behind.

"Do you think they'll be ready by then?" Helos asked.

"Honestly, I do not know. I know much, I see much, but their fates still remain as a mystery to me. We can only hope," Ymir replied.

* * *

The first thing they noticed when they arrived at the castle was the hole in the ground and the burnt patch of dirt. Moblit knelt down to touch the dirt, which surprisingly was still hot.

"Hange, feel this. It's still warm," Moblit murmured as his superior knelt down next to him, feeling the burnt earth for herself.

"The scorch marks indicate lightning, most likely from the thunderstorm we had the night we left that cabin. For the dirt to be this hot, it would mean the bolt of lightning would have to be an extreme magnitude hotter than the average lightning bolt," Hange noted. "But how everything around it stayed untouched remains a mystery for us to solve."

Hange rose up and walked towards the hole in the ground, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"This was were Drayce's body was. We know thanks to Pastor Nick's book that it is the Earth Devil. He most likely has possessed Drayce's dead body in search for someone," Hange said.

"Hange, we need you in here," Petra called out, her voice cracking. "Keji and the others…"

Hange swiftly turned and walked towards the castle. Even from a distance, it was obvious that the something had broken in. The massive wooden doors were splintered, hanging from it's hinges precariously. Inside was stained red with blood. Limbs and body parts were laid strewn across the floorboards.

"We found him and the other soldiers massacred," Gunther said grimly, as he knelt down next to a body.

Hange approached the corpse of Keji, although it was barely recognizable. His body was mangled but, oh god, his head. Hange had seen some disturbing things from her time as a Scout, death often lingered among them but it didn't make it any easier to look at. Keji's head was split in two from the eyes. The top part of his skull had rolled a few feet away from the rest of the head, the brain lying in between both halves. His mouth was wide open, locked in an eternal scream.

"Eren, Annie, Ymir. We cannot afford to lose either of you now. As long as the Devil is still out there, you are to stay on HQ grounds with close supervision at all times," Hange spoke calmly, gesturing to the mutants.

"Yes Hange," the three shifters replied in unison, stealing a glance at their friends.

"Krest, Gaylent, Kent. I want you three to help clean and dispose of the bodies," Levi ordered. "Green, freshen up the place. It reeks. You three brats, move to the canteen n-"

A bright flash of light illuminated the castle as eight figure dressed in crystal armour appeared. The room was filled with the sounds of swords being drawn and pointed at the warriors.

"At ease," Levi ordered. "What do you want?"

"We have been sent to show you the last transmission," the last figure on the end spoke. Taking out a wide smooth stone, the warrior slid it across the floor and an image popped up and started playing.

 _"Return back to HQ!" Levi shouted. "We need to leave now!"_

The corps watched as they retreated back into the distance, disappearing over the rooftops. Moments later, the sides of the building broke apart as the crystal warrior was tossed outside. From the hole, Drayce's corpse stepped out chuckling.

 _ **"You can't stop me. I will hunt you down, kill everyone that gets in my way, just like I did to those silly soldiers. Including them,"**_ _the Devil growled, pointing to the retreating form of the Survey Corps members._

 _"It's me you want, not them! Leave them out of this!" the man shouted furiously._

 _"_ _ **Hit a soft spot did I? Perhaps maybe I should let you watch them die slowly at my hands,"**_ _the Devil contemplated._

" _No."_

 _ **"I will hunt them down, kill them slowly while you watch the blood drip down your hands,"**_ _the Devil taunted._ _ **"I will enjoy their screams of pain, relishing every moment of it."**_

The eight people froze. Your hands. If any of them had caught that, it would be clear who the one in the video was. He would be exposed.

 _"You fucker! If you lay a single finger on them, I swear-" the man whispered, barely audible._

 _ **"Or perhaps, we can make a deal,"**_ _the Devil purred._

 _"A deal? With the Devil? As in the 'sell you my soul' deal?" he barked._

 _ **"Everything comes with a price. Give me what I seek and you shall receive a single request from me,"**_ _the Devil spoke, circling around the man._

 _"Why should I trust you?"_

 _ **"It may be your final chance to protect your friends,"**_ _he reminded._

The Corps watched with bated breath as they waited for the decision. What did the man choose?

 _"Don't hurt any of them, that's all I ask."_

 _ **"I knew you would make the smart choice. Then we have a deal."**_

The people in the room asides from the Guild watched in shock as a man they barely knew turned his soul over to the Devil. They watched as a red aura surrounded him before both disappeared in a flash of light, the corpse disintegrating to dust before the feed cut off.

"His whereabouts are unknown. This was the last thing we got before both of them went off the charts. We suspect that he may be beyond the walls in order to give us as much time as possible," the woman in the middle informed.

"Yes, he has the Victory Titan. He will be after the Attack Titan soon. Keep your guard up, we will try and locate him in the meantime. For now, this is all the information we can disclose."

With that, the eight figures vanished as quickly as they had came, leaving the Corps alone. Armin looked up from the spot that their allies vanished from. He gave a pointed look at Rachel and her eyes glowed briefly.

' _All of us, we need to talk. I think I may know what is going on,'_ Armin thought, his statement reaching Eren, Mikasa, Annie, Rachel, William, George and Mable.

' _All of us outside behind HQ. Armin, you aren't the only one who figure something out,'_ Annie spoke in their minds.

' _Right, let's go.'_

The mind link cut off and the group departed from HQ, walking around the castle.

"Alright, everyone here?I think Annie should start us off. You seem to know something about the man," Rachel suggested.

Taking a shaky breath, she let it out, trying to control the pounding in her heart. "I think, the man isn't anybody new to us. We've seen him before."

"What do you mean? What kind of person has wings?" Eren asked confused.

"No, not a person. I think she's implying that he's dead, or been dead. Like an angel from heaven," Mable clarified, receiving a single nod from Annie.

"I think it's Drayce."

Silence pans out across the yard. A small laugh comes from George.

"Y-you're kidding right?" the teen stammers. "Drayce?"

"Annie, are you sure? Don't get our hopes up just based on a guess," Mikasa warned.

"She's not," Armin spoke. "In the recording, the Devil threatened to kill us, and I quote 'while you watch the blood drip down your hands' implying that those aren't the Devil's hands," Armin said.

"Yeah, they're Drayce's," William said frowning. "So what?"

"No, no, you misunderstood. He was already in possession of Drayce's body, therefore there was no need to say 'your hands'. Why not 'my hands'? Unless the person he's talking to-"

"Is the same as the one he's possessing," Annie concluded. "It would also explain why he was so protective of us all as a whole. Even during the battle, multiple soldiers were hurt but he chose to intervene the moment the guy shot at you, Mikasa."

Mable frowned and thought some more. "That would make sense, I guess but how can you be so sure with just this much evidence?"

"Not just that. The day he took back his katana. He told us he was taking back what was once his," Mikasa recalled.

"Even the other people give it away. They told us that the Earth Devil would be after Eren next because he already has the Victory Titan. Drayce's spine is made of dark steel so there would be no way to get to his spinal fluid. Then the powers would transfer to a newborn, which the guy for sure isn't," Annie insisted. "One last thing. That night we escaped the cabin, I was given a note in this."

She pulled out a crystalline tube and tossed it to Mable. She began to unscrew the lid, taking out the message.

"I'll be back. Wait for me," she read out loud.

"Along with that note, this was also in it," Annie said, taking off her silver ring. "Only someone from the 104th would know about this ring. Drayce is the only one who overlaps in all these categories."

The entire group thinks, trying to make sense of the information.

"Do you think we should share this?" William asked finally. "Any way you look at it -"

"Yes, the evidence does line up."

The voice causes the group to jump in surprise and tense up. They look around warily but see no one. In front of them, the air shimmers like a mirage as the group of eight warrior appear in front of them, surrounding and backing them into the wall.

"How long have you been here?" Mikasa asks, her hands and teeth clenched.

"Long enough to hear your suspicions," another spoke. "We will not deny the fact."

"So he's still out there? With that thing inside him?" Annie asks angrily.

"Yes."

There were no other words spoken, both sides struggling to find something to say. Finally, the one in the middle produced a clear orb, holding it out to the group.

"We will leave you this. Should the situation arise, break it and you shall have one favor from us. The nature of it is for you to decide. In exchange, you keep silent."

Eren strode up and tentatively took the orb before pocketing the item.

"I think we all have a request," Eren began. "When you do find him, tell him that we'll still be waiting, no matter how long and give this to him."

Taking the tube and the note from Mable, he recapped it and tossed it to the woman in the center. A chuckle escaped the woman's throat as she nodded.

"We'll tell him," the man next to her promised before the group disappeared in a flash of light.

Eren turned back around, a new fire rising in his eyes, a grin plastered on his face.

"He can't stay away for too long huh?" he remarked.

"No he certainly can't," Armin agreed.

"Even death can't keep him away, the bastard," Mable smirked.

"Relax guys. When he gets back, we can all take turns punching his lights out," William said.

"Fine by me," Annie said, a small smile returning to her face.

* * *

 **Present Day**

Drayce was having nightmares again. They would've been scary had they not been such weird ones. It started with his parent's house l, the sound of human traffickers laughing but when he stepped through the door, the noise and sounds faded away. He looked around the place, a foggy dome, a hill, and a lone willow tree on top of the hill.

"Why is it this place every goddamn single time," he muttered in annoyance.

"It seems to me you can never stay away from this place," an amused voice next to him spoke.

Looking to his left, he saw an old man in a wheelchair, slowly wheeling his way up the hill. At the top, he turned to face Drayce, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. Drayce had seen enough pictures of the man, young and old, to know who it was. Charles Xavier beckoned the young mutant to follow him. Drayce walked up the hill to join the telepath.

"Sometimes, I think we need a change of view," Charles said as he overlooked a recreation of the school he built centuries ago.

"Professor, what are you doing here? It's dangerous," Drayce asked.

"I'll be quite alright. I am only an astral projection within your mind. This is where we are the safest," Charles replied. "I understand you took matter into your own hands and have landed yourself into this predicament."

"With all due respect professor, I don't intend to go back. Not when the Earth Devil is inside me. He'll only cause more harm and chaos if I do," Drayce clarified.

"Which is why I'm here. On Ymir's behalf, I've been sent me to help you. Your friends need you," Charles explained. "I'm here to teach you how to free yourself. And how to harness the power of the infinity stone inside you."


	35. Chapter 32

**A/N: Okay, hear me out. I know X men and Avengers happens on two different dimensions but stick with me on this one. I tried to explain the gist of Infinity Wars without spoiling it but just know, the way I ended it in this chapter was not to intend spoilers at all for those who haven't seen the movie yet, just how I think it would end in the future. Also, I'm functional enough to be a human being again. Yay. So happy reading and I think Drayce is now too OP for his own good now. :P**

"Infinity stone?" Drayce asked confused.

"Ah, so you do not know," Charles said amused. "Well then, let me tell you a story."

A chair appeared behind Drayce and he took a seat. Charles closed his eyes and the world around them faded to black.

"Ever since the beginning of time, there were six singularities. After some time, the universe came to be. These singularities were then condensed, and so came the infinity stones."

Drayce watched as light exploded around them, condensing into six glowing stones before they fell downwards and disappeared.

"This was the Nine Realms, where the six stones fell. The inhabitants quickly realized how powerful these stones were but there was one setback. Lesser beings could not contain the power and would disintegrate on contact with the stone."

The scene shifted once again to a throne room, or what Drayce assumed to be a throne room. A disfigured man, no, alien walked in with a box in his hands. Carefully opening it, a glowing green stone came into view. The alien on the throne picked up the stone, examining it. As soon as he had touched it, the stone began to grow violently green. Light massed around the alien and by the time it had faded, the alien was no more than a pile of dust, the green stone lying next to it.

"But as time grew on, these stones had been passed down, from race to race. Planets were destroyed, cities were leveled. By the year 2000 AD, these stones had disappeared, gone without a trace. Eighteen years later, war on this very planet broke out."

The scene zoomed in on Earth, eventually focusing on a purple humanoid alien.

"This is Thanos, the Mad Titan. His dream was to reshape the world into one with prosperity and peace reigns over, but his method was much less cheery. A fierce battle ensued between the Nine Realms and Thanos. In the end, Thanos had been defeated and the stones disappeared without a trace. The stones fell, and landed on our Earth."

"Wait, hold up. I just heard something extremely sketchy," Drayce interrupted. "How can there be two Earths?"

"There are hundred, thousands, even millions of Earths. We only exist in one of many dimensions. The stones had not in fact disappeared but simply traveled to another dimension, ours to be exact. The resulting war, Infinity War they called it, split one of the stones into four separate stones in their own rights and thus came nine infinity , time, reality, power, space, order, chaos, creation, and desire. When the Earth Devil stumbled across these stones and learnt of their history, he made a deal with Ymir Fritz. When Ymir managed to come into possession of the nine stones, she used them to create the Founding Titan. With the power of the stones, she took complete control, but it came with a price. Her life would be shortened to thirteen more years."

"The Curse of Ymir? So that's where it came from?" Drayce mused.

"Then as you know, along the way, Ymir and the Earth Devil got into a fight. The results caused the Earth Devil's soul to split in two," Charles explained. "Ymir's was split into seven, hence the nine titans altogether."

"So what does this have to do with the stone I have. It was clear when I got it. From what I saw, the stones were coloured," Drayce wondered.

"Patience child. When Ymir found Valkern, she immediately set out to find and recollect the stones. They were too powerful, so she locked their powers within themselves. They lie in the stones dormant, waiting to be released," Charles explained.

"Okay, which stone do I have?" Drayce asked, rubbing the spot on his chest the the stone had enter through.

"Ymir saw the power and potential you behold and gave you one of the most powerful stone. Possible the most powerful one actually, the Creation Stone," Charles said.

"So, are you gonna teach me something about the stone? How to use it?" Drayce asked, a light gleaming in his golden eyes.

"We still have a few hours before sunrise," Charles replied, a smile tugging at his lips.

* * *

"Where is he? He told us to meet back here."

"Quiet!"

"There isn't anybody here though!"

"Reiner!"

Bertholt and Reiner creeped through the forest, around the base of a giant oak tree. Bertholt slumped against the base of the tree and began staring off into space. Reiner nudged his friend's leg with his toe, catching his attention.

"Oi, you're still thinking about her right?" Reiner asked.

Bertholt nodded and sighed. "I still can't believe it. Annie has got to be pissed at us."

"Pissed?! Angrier than that, that's for sure," Reiner exclaimed. "Drayce died because of us and you think she's just pissed?! She'll rip us apart if she catches us!"

"You're right on that front Reiner."

The voice came directly above them. The pair look up the see a man with glasses sitting on a branch. Jumping down, he straightened his jacket before addressing the two warriors.

"Zeke," Reiner said.

"I find it impressive that every single time Eren's been kidnapped, he still manages to escape. Even from you two. Don't make me do it myself, am I clear?" Zeke asked, his eyes glowing purple.

"But what about-" Bertholt spoke before getting interrupted.

"Annie? She already made her decision. Kill her should she cross paths with you," Zeke ordered. "Come, we must make a plan and bide our time before we take action."

Reiner, Bertholt, and Zeke hike back along the forest, reaching a small cave where a fire was crackling. A girl was sitting by it, already warming her hands to the heat. Red marks covered her face. As they came back, she gave them a sleepy smile.

"Oh hello Reiner, Bertholt," the girl yawned.

"Pieck," Bertholt greeted. "Long time no see."

"Yeah. Unfortunate that Annie is gone. I wanted to see her," Pieck lamented.

"It was her choice. Now she'll pay for it, just like the others here," Reiner said, a slight edge to his voice.

"I'll take first watch tonight," Zeke said. "Get some rest."

* * *

"Professor, do you have a location," Furlan asked pacing back and forth.

Picking up a pen, Charles drew a circle around the forest at the edge of the island.

"Good. Keep him busy. We need enough time to be able to restrain and capture him," Marco said, folding the map. "Christie do you have the necklaces?"

"Got them in my satchel."

"Alright, we need to move now," Tom said, his cloak hardening into armor.

With a flash of light, the eight teens disappeared and reappeared behind the Survey Corps HQ. On cue, a portal opens up on the wall and another group appears.

"Com'on, spill. Where is he?" George asked, stepping through the portal.

Marco stepped forward with the map in his hands. Placing it on the floor Marco taps the circled spot on the map.

"He's here, somewhere in this forest near the edge of the island. We weren't able to pinpoint it exactly so we're gonna have to spread out and search on foot," Marco says. "The only problem is that we have no way to show you how the place looks like so we you won't be able to get there with these necklaces. Do you guys have the thing we gave you?"

"Yeah, Annie has it and we figured as much," George said. "Rachel take a look at the map. Remember when we arrived back here? We passed by."

Rachel frowns as she looks at the map.

"It'll be a small chance, but maybe I can push my memory of the place to your minds," Rachel said.

"We've got nothing to lose," Eren says. "Do it."

Rachel's eyes begin to glow turquoise as she reaches out with her powers, linking up their minds. Focusing on the one scene, she pushes it outwards. The group gasps as the strange feeling washes over them, a sense of deja vu.

"Alright, I think I got it," Armin said.

"Yeah, me too," Mikasa said while rubbing her temples. Annie simply nodded.

"Alright. Take these and put them on. Focus on the place and you should be there," Christie instructed.

One by one, each recruit began to disappear until finally the last member disappears. As soon as they leave, the castle yard was replaced with trees, as high as the sky and the smell of earth filling their noses. It was exactly like they had pictured it in their minds.

"Wow," Armin said hushed. "He's in there?"

The eight armor clad warriors nodded grimly.

"We'll split up so we can cover more ground. I'll make a link to all of us so we can communicate to each other without talking," Rachel proposed.

"How about splitting up into groups of two? Traveling alone is never good," William interjects.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Armin agreed. "You can never be too cautious."

The group quickly broke themselves off into groups, one warrior with each Survey Corps member. They set out into the forest, set on finding their old friend.

"This way," Marco said, gesturing Annie to follow him.

"Do you have any idea where we are going?" she asked..

"Nope, not at all. We'll find our way eventually. Not like we can get lost when we can find our way back with our necklaces," Marco replied.

"Still, we shouldn't waste time. We only have so long until sunrise so we should move quickly," Annie suggested. Marco nodded in agreement and followed the blond girl's lead.

The two continued to traverse the terrain, keeping a watchful eye for any signs of movement. Suddenly, Marco froze, holding up a fist.

'Movement up ahead. Be quiet and try not to make any sounds. We don't know what's up ahead,' Marco spoke in Annie's mind.

Marco crept forward, unsheathing his sword as he approached the origin of the sound. At the edge of the brush, he leaped through, expecting something, anything really, but saw nothing.

'Huh, could've sworn I heard something,' he thought puzzled to himself.

He turned around and marched out of the brush and looked around. Where was Annie? She was right behind him a second ago. The heavy thudding of feet behind him alerted Marco but before he could react, a hard hit sent him sailing across the clearing and smashing him into a tree. He scrambled to his feet but was met with a punch to the face. As the fist made contact, a purple energy wave was released, instantly knocking Marco out.

Zeke stared at the crystal soldier now lying at the base of the tree. He snorted and picked back up the unconscious girl next to him and began to trudge back to the cave. Arriving at his destination, he dropped the girl at the base of the tree and grabbed a length of rope. Looping it several times, he tied the knot, securing her into place. After checking the knot and was satisfied with the results, Zeke walked back into the cave to rouse the three sleeping warriors.

"Wake up," Zeke said, shaking his three companion's shoulders. "We got a problem."

Reiner simply rolled over and continued to sleep. Bertholt opened his eyes and began to rub them while Pieck simply yawned and stretched.

"What is it Zeke? Is it my shift yet?" Reiner groaned.

"No, we have a problem and she's outside tied up," Zeke responded. That got the group's attention.

"What?!" Bertholt demanded. "Annie?!"

Reiner on the other hand, didn't even wait for a reply and ran outside barefoot immediately. Pieck looked like she was still in a dream and fell back over, snoring softly. Truth be told, Zeke felt bad for the shifter. She needed the rest after being in her titan form for over a month. Bertholt quickly pulled on his shoes and ran outside, Zeke behind him. Annie was already waking, aware of her situation.

"How did you find us?" Reiner asked, clearly shaken from the visit of his old comrade.

Annie simply glared but to her credit, stayed silent. "You were never one to talk," Zeke mused. "You have evaded us long enough. One way or another, you will cooperate."

Zeke's eyes glowed purple before fading. He narrowed his eyes. "A mind link. Clever but it won't work. Trying to call for your friends I assume? No matter, they will die like the rest of these islanders. But one does wonder, who was that man with you?"

"You mean there's another group?" Reiner asked.

"It seems like it. Although we do not know their ulterior motive, we need to assume the worst," Zeke claimed. "We need to move now. It isn't safe anymore."

"Reiner, we'll need you to carry us again," Bertholt said his hands clenched into fists. "We need to leave before anyone else gets here."

"No, if they come, they come. I'm more than a match for them," Zeke answered. "Grab Pieck and Annie and get out of here."

Reiner moved forwards to untie Annie's ropes but when he got close enough, she lashed out, knife in hand. The blade cut across Reiner's cheek, drawing blood. Zeke's eyes glowed purple as his fist glowed the same shade. He rushed her and slammed down, the force of the hit sending Annie flying. It was enough to knock the wind out of her.

'Fuck! Does he have an infinity stone?!' Annie panicked inwardly.

She raised her head off the ground and her eyes landed on the crystal orb that fell out of her pocket. Given the circumstance, it was reasonable to use it. She lunged forward to grab the ball and smashed it against a rock before she and her opponents were blown backwards.

* * *

"Marvelous," Charles beamed. "You've mastered the abilities quite well."

Drayce looked up at the old man as he finished obliterating the tenth wave of enemies.

"Not bad but I still feel that summoning things takes a lot more energy," Drayce replied. "I need to work on that."

"It does. Creating always take more effort than to destroy," Charles replied calmly. "When the power truly awaken, the stone will know no limits."

"Give it to me."

"What?" Charles asked, his voice filled with uncertainty. "Did I hear right?"

"If I don't master the stone's full potential, I can't win. There are eight other stones out there," Drayce replied.

"Although you have mastered the Dormant Stone, the Awakened Stone will be much more powerful. It will corrupt you if you can't contain it's power," Charles explained. "Are you sure."

"Yes. I will do whatever it take to defend the ones I love," Drayce said.

"The cost will be great. You must hold it back, control it," Charles warned. "Call upon the stone and it will wake. Harness the power. Whenever you're ready."

Drayce nodded and closed his eyes. He reached deep within himself, picturing the stone in his head. He concentrated and slowly, he began to see it. The color was returning to the stone, turning from the clear color to the golden yellow color it once was. Warmth seeped through his body growing hotter and hotter. A tingling sensation ran down his spine before he exploded in pain. He roared in pain as cracks began to run from his chest to every point of his body. The trees around him caught fire as the heat became intense. It was like if he had swallowed a bomb and it had detonated inside him. His eyes began to glow a golden yellow as the power of the stone coursed through his veins. Images flashed in his head. A giant tree in space, nine bubbles attached to nine branches.

'The world tree,' he realized. 'The nine realms.'

He saw the war, the Great Titan Thanos. The stones as they disappeared into space. He watched as the largest stone began to crack and fracture as it hurtled through the air. The stone exploded into four parts, shards of the original stone reflecting the light to form a cascade of colors.

'This is true power. Use it and conquer what is rightfully yours.'

The voice sounded deep and hollow, as if death itself was talking. The world around him was incinerated as he was pushed back by the intense light. The ball of energy exploded and Drayce woke up.

The first thing he noticed was that he was no longer in a tree but in a crater that was about fifteen feet deep. He shook his head to stop the stars from spinning around his head. He help out his hand to the crater's floor and it began to glow gold. Power coursed through his entire body. He felt limitless, the power difference between the Awakened Stone and the Dormant Stone was shocking. The crater began to cool, dirt slowly began to fill up, trees sprouted from the ground as saplings before growing into fully fledged trees. What should've taken tremendous amounts of effort now took as little effort as blinking.

Drayce stood up in his new surroundings, staring into the stars. The familiar stirring began to grow in his gut.

"You little traitor," the Devil growled. "What did you do?!"

"I just gained the power to destroy you. Some monster as weak as you doesn't stand a chance," Drayce replied coldly, his eyes and hands beginning to glow gold.

With a flick of his hand, he let the power run rampant through his body. The cold icy feeling he had since the Devil had enter him now grew warmer and warmer.

"You have no place in this world," Drayce snarled as he felt the Devil's presence waning.

The Devil roared furiously as Drayce's body glowed red but the power of the infinity stone was too much for the Earth Devil to handle. The silhouette of the devil formed by the red aura began to contort and flicker.

"Be gone!"

Drayce redirected the power to his hands and projected outwards. The golden energy released from his hands washed outwards like a stream of fire. The devil's aura began to dispel as the golden light touched him. Roaring in both pain and anger, the Devil flailed his arms as he could do nothing to prevent Drayce from banishing him. After the last trace of the red light faded, Drayce breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank Maria. Finally get to walk without slamming into the low hanging branches," he grumbled.

He looked to the night sky and the stars but something still didn't feel right. He frowned and turned around. As he did, a column of blue light shot upwards into the dark fabric of night. His eyes glowed an artic blue and moments later, his face morphed from shock to horror and finally to downright angry. He snarled and began to run as fast as he could towards the light, towards her, because if any of those bastards hurt Annie, he would personally see that they would not live to see the light of day.


	36. So Now What?

Hey. I'm not dead, although I was close in a figurative sense. Army boot camp sucks and I apologize thoroughly for not telling any of you guys and gals. Like the dumbass I was, I let my packing get down to last minute and didn't have time to come back and tell you guys that I'm going to be gone. All the time I thought if any of you had lost hope and faith that I would upload since, I'm not the best at keeping to my schedule. I want to finish this story and I will. Possibly a sequel after this one is done except with a new crossover to a different anime. I'm thinking One Piece except that might be a long running one and I'm not going to start at the beginning, somewhere in the middle. I just thought with One Piece's crazy world, Drayce might just fit in with the Strawhat Crew. (So far I know like 4 animes, including AoT and One Piece. I ** _told_** myself that I would watch My Hero Acadamia this summer. Damn it.)

On the topic of anime, I recently, for some weird reason started reading Rosario + Vampire. I try to steer clear of the umm, sexual stuff but I just find their shenanigans hilarious if anything so I'm planning to do a fanfic of that. Let me know what you think of that idea. Might be rejected but not going to stop me! So in short, yeah I'm doing it. So if you want to have any damn idea of what's going on in that upcoming story, I recommend that you read it. There's no major sexual activity but a bunch of stuff sex jokes are implied.

So yeah, that's where I'm planning on taking all of this. By the time you see this which is around 9:25 ish at night when I post this blurb in San Francisco, I should be finishing chapter 33 for Of Monsters and Men up and posting it at 10:00. Any other questions, PM me. Again, sorry for leaving you guys with no warning but on a happier note, Of Monsters and Men is officially past a year old and I'm back in action! Everyone take care, and I'll see you in chapter 33.


	37. Chapter 33

**A/N: Sorry that this chapter is shorter that most. I need to go before my parents yell at me. I'll add some edits in the morning but here you go for now.**

The moment the orb had shattered, Annie, Zeke, Reiner, and Bertholt were blown backwards. A wave of blue light washed outwards before shooting straight up, like a beacon. Zeke, upon seeing this, backed up and looked around. Reiner and Bertholt began to climb back onto their feet, looking warily at Annie, waiting for her next move.

No one moved a single muscle or made a sound. They simple waited and soon, it started. The sounds of splintering and cracking wood were faint at first but they grew louder and louder, drawing near on their location. They could see trees falling one by one as something or someone hurtled towards them.

A scream of pain rang out through the air, as Bertholt fell to his knees, his back bloody with a single cut. As he fell, another figure leaped from behind him, a katana in hand. Bounding over Bertholt's body, the man stopped in front of Annie, facing her opponents. His armor, it should've been impossible. It was exactly like the crystal warrior's armor except it was made of dark steel.

"Careful, he has an infinity stone," the figure said, nodding at Zeke.

"I noticed," Annie replied softly, only loud enough for Drayce to hear. "When you're done kicking their ass, we need to talk Drayce."

"Ah shit," Drayce groaned before leaping towards Zeke.

"Reiner, bring Bertholt and Pieck to safety," Zeke shouted as he charged to meet Drayce head on.

Zeke roared as he punched forward, hand glowing purple. His fist met Drayce's fist and a shockwave of purple energy expelled outwards.

"You are strong, but do you really think you can defeat me?" Zeke asked.

"No doubt about it," Drayce replied, his own hand glowing golden yellow. "Power stone, huh? We'll see how long you last."

Zeke's confidence began to waver but he pushed it back, launching another barrage of energy at Drayce.

With a flick of his hand, a dark steel wall erected itself in front of Drayce. The energy pulses slammed into the barrier, the energy dispersing. The wall disappeared and Drayce leapt forward, katakana in hand which was wreathed in fire. Swinging his sword towards Zeke, the man repelled Drayce back with a shockwave of power.

"Pathetic," Zeke sneered. "This is true power."

The trees around them began to glow purple and splintered. The shards began to turn towards him and Zeke sent them rocketing forwards.

'Shit! Annie!' Drayce thought.

Bracing himself, he created a dome of dark steel over Annie, just in time to stop stakes of wood from impaling his girlfriend. He, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. The wooden stakes pierced through his wings, instantly bloodying them. The rest of the wood bounced harmlessly off his metal armor.

Growling, he thrust his fingers skywards, sharp spikes of dark steel erupting from the earth below. Zeke jumped backwards, just narrowly avoiding the spikes as they speared the air where he once stood.

A bolt of lightning struck down and Reiner's titan appeared behind Zeke. Bertholt with Pieck, still sleeping, strapped to his back were already clinging on to Reiner's neck.

"Reiner, grab Zeke and let's get outta here!" Bertholt screamed.

Reiner grunted and swipes Zeke of the floor. He turns heels and begins to run.

"God damn it," Drayce cursed.

He let his claws slide out, triggering his transformation. A bolt of lightning struck Drayce, transforming him into his 15 meter behemoth before giving chase to them and disappearing into the forest.

"Annie, the fuck is going on!" William shouted.

Annie turned around, the rest of the group with her.

"Over there," Annie replied, pointing towards the direction where Drayce disappeared.

Seconds later, Reiner's titan form flies out and crashes against the dark steel spikes. A look of hatred crossed Eren's face as he raised his hand to his mouth, ready to bite.

"No Eren! Look, he's injured!" Armin shouted pointing at the deep gashes in Reiner's back.

"By what?" Mikasa demanded.

"By him."

A thumping grew louder and louder, a humongous shadow fell on Reiner as a crystal titan appeares from the forest, a way to big sword dragging behind on the forest floor like in one of those slasher movies. Roaring, Reiner struggled back to his feet and charged Drayce. Slamming a fist on the ground, a stone pillar erupted from below Reiner, sending him flying skywards.

"The hell? How did he do that?!" Eren asked, his mouth agape.

"Infinity stone," Tom answered. "If he's using it, then one of them must have one too. We need to leave before they level this entire forest."

"No, not Reiner. Zeke!" Annie corrected.

"Who's Zeke?" Eren asked.

"Another titan shifter," answered Annie, just as said shifter blasted back Drayce with a purple energy wave.

Taking the chance, Reiner stood back onto his feet, his fists glowing purple. Roaring, he threw a punch at Drayce who threw one of his own. The power behind the strike cracked the crystal around Drayce's hand, shattering the armor.

"PIECK, WAKE THE HELL UP! WE NEED YOU!" Bertholt screamed.

"Huh?" the girl replied sleepily as she stared at the scene before them.

Snapping her fingers, a wave of green energy expanded outwards and everything froze.

"There, I gave you five minutes," Pieck replied before getting pulled back by her drowsiness.

"Forget about them for now. We don't know how many more of them are here but we need to leave. This place is no longer safe," Zeke decided, his eyes narrowing.

With that, the warriors disappeared from the forest and out of sight. Five minutes later, the world unfroze.

' _Damn it! They have the time stone too?!'_ Drayce thought as he began to exit his titan.

"What the hell happened?" William groaned. "Where'd Reiner go?"

"I could ask you all the same question, but unfortunately I don't know," Drayce replied, making his way down from the steaming titan corpse. "I see we got tweedle dee and tweedle dum trying to be a detective here."

"Who's who?" Eren asked, a grin plastered on his face.

"I'd say you be tweedle dee-" Drayce begins before getting slammed onto the ground by Annie. "And I'll assume I'm tweedle dum although it doesn't exactly make sense in this context."

Drayce opens his mouth to say something but before he could, the blonde sitting on his chest slaps his face.

"You come back and the first thing you do is crack a stupid ass joke?!" she demands, a look of disbelief on her face.

Drayce's smile lessens as he begins to sit up. He grabs Annie and lifts her up as easily as if she was a puppy. Said girl squeaks quietly in surprise as he hugs her but nonetheless returns the affection.

"I'm sorry Ann. For leaving you and everyone else behind but most of all, for not telling you," Drayce mutters as he tightens his grip like she might disappear.

"We mourned you, buried you. Do you know how much it hurt?" she cries, tears sparkling on her lashes.

"I know. I wanted to tell you. Even now, I shouldn't have. But I couldn't bear it for much longer," Drayce replied.

"Will you be coming back with us?" Annie asked with pleading eyes.

"Unfortunately I cannot. I have to go with them," Drayce explained, nodding at the rest of his friends. "But tell you what, make sure you're at the back of the castle after sunset tonight."

"Fine, you better show up," Annie threatens.

"Yeah yeah, I'll be there. Bring a jacket too. And when you get back to HQ, give this to Levi," Drayce says as he unslings his sword and holds it out to Annie with both hands.

A smile grows on her face as she accepts the saber. She unsheathed the blade halfway before studying it and pushing it back in.

"Anything you want me to tell him?" she asks as she slings it on her back.

"Tell him it's from an old friend and that he'll be hearing from us shortly," Drayce replies. "And all of you remember, you didn't see me."

"See who?" Rachel asks.

"There you go. Now get going. I'd hate to have Levi force you to clean for sneaking out," Drayce smirks, holding out his hand to conjure a golden coloured portal.

"After sunset. I'm holding you to it," Annie warns before disappearing through the dimensional doorway with the rest of her friends.

With a chuckle, Drayce, along with the rest of his guild disappear with a flash of white.

* * *

"I still can't believe you did what you did!" Megan huffed.

"What would you have done? Didn't have much of a choice," Drayce replied as they walked through the majestic halls.

"Man, you never change," Boone sighed.

"I mean, he is hard headed," Tom offered. "You can't deny that."

"Oh yeah, he is. But we can all agree there's a bigger one here," Christie remarked.

"Oi oi. Take it easy," Farlan interrupted.

"Come on! It was getting interesting!" Isabel whined.

"I agree because you need a shower. You stink," Megan said whilst pinching her nose. "Make sure you scrub and don't come out until you're clean Drayce."

"Geez mom, fine," Drayce grumbles.

"You're older than me!" Megan exclaims.

"No need to bite his head off over it. It was a joke. Do you have no humor?" Tom defended.

"No, I'll go. Can't wait for hot water," Drayce says before running up the stairs and into his room.

"Come to the library when you're done!" Megan shouted after him.

"Yes mom!"

"WHAT?!"

"Let it go already Megan," Farlan sighed. "Let's go give a full report to Ymir."

"Nose Goes."

"Damn it! Why is it always me?!"

"You have the worst reaction time ever Tom…"

"Shut up already!"

Drayce sighed as he slid down behind his door, listening as his friends walked away. He walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower, waiting for the water to heat up. He walked out and gazed at his wardrobe critically. He was going to need something other than a t-shirt this time.

* * *

Annie flopped back down onto her bed the moment she snuck back into her room. She took the katana of her back and unsheathed the entire blade. She had seen Drayce use it many times but she had never seen it up close. The metal was dark, cool, and smooth. The blade, perfectly sharp no matter how many times used. She swung it through the air, making a sharp, crisp swoosh sound. She studied the handle of the blade. It was comprised of titanium, the design of some type of dragon coiling it's way up the handle, the head of it being the end. She returned her blade to its home before putting on her uniform and splashing cold water on her face to keep herself alert and awake. She walked out her room and made her way towards the dining area where she knew she could find her target.

Captain Levi was by himself at his usual table at his usual spot. The smell of tea had already filled the room. Multiple tea leaves sitting on a plate indicated that he hadn't been sleeping. No wonder he was grouchy all the time.

"Isn't it too early for you to be awake?" Levi asked, as Annie entered the room. "I would've thought you teens would be begging to sleep in."

"Couldn't sleep," she replied.

"So what's the purpose? I don't want to hear a sob story. I'm not your father," Levi said as he took a sip of tea.

Annie swallowed as she set Drayce's katana on the table. Levi's eyebrows shifted as he picked it up and studied it.

"Where'd you get it?" he asked suspiciously.

"An old friend. He told me to give it to you and that you'll be seeing him shortly," Annie replied, although she knew she wasn't fooling the corporal.

"I see. Did he say when?" Levi asked, his tone softer.

"No captain," she lied.

A pause.

"You can go then Leonhart."

"Thank you sir."

As she reached the exit, the captain had one last thing to say.

"You should work on your lying. It sucks. I'll turn a blind eye."

"I don't know what you mean sir," she replied with a small smile before walking out, leaving Levi alone once again.

He turned back to the sword in his hand and chuckled.

"Damn, kid."

* * *

Drayce stepped out of his shower and began to towel off his hair. He threw down a piece of paper onto his desk before sitting down. He glanced at the clock on his table. 30 seconds left. He grabbed his cloak and pried open the window to his room. He looked down towards the vast city and swung a leg out, straddling the windowsill. He leaned forward and dropped down, his hand catching the ledge.

"5, 4, 3, 2, aaand 1."

Just as he let go of the windowsill, a wave of green expanded, washing over the entire city. His cloak wrapped around him and he spread his wings, gliding over the landscape. He flew towards the other side of the castle and touched down. He walked up to a guard to inspect him. He was unmoving, frozen in place. He walked through the double doors and into the teleporting drops. Walking up to pad number 2, he dropped down and appeared atop Wall Maria.

A girl was already sitting on the wall, looking at the titans below. She turned her head to acknowledge him and stood up.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I'm here to make a deal," the girl replied. "You read my offer and the terms and conditions didn't you?"

"I did."

"So?"

"I accept, Pieck."


	38. Really, I'm Not Dead

**A/N: Okay, quick update. School's a bitch, so is life (but what's new?), wifi went down for the past week, dying from SAT prep, and watch some good movies.**

 **BUT. I am here to announce several things concerning multiple things that have to do with my stories. The Monster Within (Rosario + Vampire) is way overdue for a chapter. I know that but progress is slow, only got a thousand words or so on the next chapter.**

 **Second thing, it's been more than half a year since I updated Of Monsters and Men (Attack on Titan). Let's be real, it's trash at this point. I tried to put to many things in it at once and now it's confusing even me. I'm gonna do a rewrite so expect that to come soon(?). I'll talk about scheduling later.**

 **Third thing, I'm going to start a new story with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Just letting you guys know.**

 **Finally, scheduling. I'm going to be rotating around which stories I update and when. This month, I'm working on Rosario + Vampire. Next month will be the release of the Into the Spider-Verse story. Lastly, the month after that will be my rewritten story for Attack on Titan. It will alternate between the three but at this point, it might crash and fail. I'll try my best to stick by this. No promises though.**


	39. note thingymajigger

**So real quick for all you fans (Are you guys fans or just readers? I like to think of you guys as fans) of this story, I posted the rewrite version of this literally minutes ago. So please do me a huge favour and hop on over and give it a read for me and let me know with a review telling how you all like it. This story will still be here just for nostalgic/dumbass reasons but yeah. Thank you all very much for tolerating me for this long and enjoy the rest of your day!**

 **P.S Also let me know if I should work on the titles for my notes.**

 **-LightningReformed**


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